Israeli tanks advance into Gaza's Deir al-Balah city for first time

Israeli tanks have advanced into Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for the first time, triggering a fresh wave of displacement among civilians.

Local journalists said tanks entered southern and eastern areas of the city on Monday amid heavy air and artillery strikes, a day after Israel ordered residents in several areas to leave.

Deir al-Balah is one of the few areas of Gaza where Israel has not conducted a major ground operation during its 21-month war with Hamas.

The UK and 24 other nations meanwhile condemned the killing of hundreds of Palestinians at food aid points. "The war in Gaza must end now," they said. "The suffering of civilians has reached new depths."

The UN said the evacuation order in Deir al-Balah affected tens of thousands of Palestinians and dealt "another devastating blow" to humanitarian efforts.

The neighbourhoods contain dozens of camps for displaced families as well as aid warehouses, health clinics, and critical water infrastructure.

Local journalists told the BBC that Israeli tanks and other military vehicles pushed into eastern Deir al-Balah on Monday from the direction of the Kissufim crossing and under the cover of heavy artillery and air strikes.

Dozens of shells struck the Abu al-Ajin and Hikr al-Jami areas, they said.

Night-time footage shared on social media showed explosions and the sound of gunfire. Local medics said several people had been killed by shelling.