Israeli troops have encircled Gaza City as the UN chief slams the offensive as "systematic destruction", with thousands of Palestinians unable or unwilling to flee.

Israel confirmed on Tuesday that it had begun its long-anticipated ground operation into Gaza City , where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remain.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) heavily bombarded the area, which had sustained increased air strikes for more than a week, mainly targeting high-rises .

There are about 600,000 Palestinians left in the city, with the IDF estimating 40 per cent of the population had left.

Hamas said about 350,000 left their homes in the eastern parts of the city, heading to displacement shelters in its central or western areas, while another 175,000 people had fled the city al

See Full Page