Israel launched a new devastating ground offensive in Gaza over the weekend just as US President Donald Trump departed the region without sealing a ceasefire and hostage deal.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent days as Israel has intensified air strikes, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel announced Sunday it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza after a nearly three-month blockade, days after global experts on food security warned of famine.

The bloodshed followed the launch of a new Israeli military operation aimed at putting more pressure on Hamas to release hostages.

Israel's prime minister has said his decision to allow a "minimal" amount of food into Gaza after 11 weeks of blockade followed pressure from allies in the US Senate. "We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint," Benjamin Netanyahu stressed in a video in response to criticism of the move in Israel.

The Israeli military on Monday issued an evacuation order for residents of Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis, and nearby towns. Avichay Adraee, a military spokesperson, posted the order on his social medial accounts,

Israel launched intense air and ground campaigns that health officials say killed hundreds over the last few days and shuttered the last functioning hospital in the enclave’s north. The Israeli military’s ground operation in northern and southern Gaza comes as international mediators push for progress in ceasefire talks.