Hundreds of people fled Gaza City and relocated south on Saturday after Israel launched what it called the "initial stages" of a planned offensive on the territory's largest city.

People came in cars, buses and trucks to the Gaza Valley and Nuseirat refugee camp, jamming traffic and the main coastal road in the Gaza Strip.

Fadi Al-Daour, a man displaced from Gaza City, said the area became “unliveable”.

“No one is searching and there are no journalists to film. There is nothing,” he said.

Many of those who arrived in central Gaza had been displaced more than once during the 22-month conflict that has left more than 63,000 people dead in the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

On Saturday, an Israeli official said Israel will soon halt or slow humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza as it expands its military offensive against Hamas.

The announcement came a day after Gaza City was declared a combat zone.

The decision was likely to bring more condemnation of Israel’s government as frustration grows in the country and abroad over dire conditions for both Palestinians and remaining hostages in Gaza after nearly 23 months of war.

Israel called Gaza City a Hamas stronghold, alleging a network of tunnels remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids on the area throughout nearly 23 months of war.

The UN said Thursday that 23,000 people had evacuated over the past week, but many Palestinians in Gaza City question the effort when there is nowhere safe to go.

The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel and abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.