Thousands flee homes as Israel continues air raids on Gaza

The UN says 10,000 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes in the Gaza Strip, as the death toll reaches 126.

Israel continued to bombard the Gaza Strip with air raids and artillery shells on Saturday, as it stepped up the deployment of troops and tanks near the besieged Palestinian enclave.

At least 126 Palestinians, including 31 children, have been killed and 920 have been wounded since hostilities flared up on Monday.

The death toll is expected to rise, as another series of Israeli air assaults hit the Shati refugee camp in Gaza killing at least seven people, including six children, while burying several others in the rubble.

Thousands of Palestinian families have taken shelter in United Nations-run schools in northern Gaza to escape Israeli artillery fire. The UN has said it estimates approximately 10,000 Palestinians have left their homes in Gaza amid the Israeli offensive.

Despite international calls for an immediate halt of all hostilities, including from United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged the offensive will continue “as needed to restore calm in the state of Israel”.

Hamas fired another barrage of rockets towards Israel, hitting the city of Ashdod early on Saturday.