Palestinians scramble to flee northern Gaza after Israel orders more than a million civilians to evacuate as Hamas terrorists hunted

Palestinian civilians are scrambling to flee northern Gaza following an order to evacuate by Israel. A week on from the wide-ranging Hamas attack which sparked a new war, an exodus of civilians from northern Gaza is underway, with more than a million people ordered to flee the area.

Families packed cars, trucks and donkey carts with their possessions before crowding a main road south from Gaza City, where the entire population has been ordered to evacuate. But with air strikes continuing on the region, Hamas claims more than 70 people have been killed as war planes struck cars fleeing south.

It comes as Israel has carried out limited ground forays in northern Gaza ahead of an anticipated land offensive. Israel's military says troops are carrying out temporary raids on Gaza to battle militants and search for 150 men, women and children who were abducted by Hamas last week.

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There are warnings from the UN and aid groups that the mass evacuation order would cause suffering, particularly for those in hospitals. In urging the evacuation, Israel’s military said it planned to target underground Hamas hideouts around Gaza City.

Palestinians and some Egyptian officials fear that Israel ultimately aims to push Gaza’s people out through the southern border with Egypt. The UN called on Israel to reverse the unprecedented directive, while Hamas told people to ignore the evacuation order.

Families in Gaza faced an agonising dilemma in deciding whether to leave or stay, with no safe ground anywhere. Israeli strikes have levelled entire city blocks, and Gaza has been sealed off from food,