Israeli forces pressed their incursion deeper into two northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian health officials have said that tank shelling in Rafah killed at least 11 people, Reuters reports.

Residents and Gaza media said tanks advanced further west into the Shakoush neighbourhood of Rafah, forcing thousands of displaced people there to leave their tent camps and head northward to the nearby Khan Younis.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

One resident, who spoke to Reuters via a chat app, said some bulldozers in the Shakoush area were piling up sand for Israeli tanks to station behind.

“Some families live in the area of the raid and are now besieged by the occupation forces,” he told Reuters.

“The situation there is very dangerous and many families are leaving towards Khan Younis, even from the Mawasi area as things became unsafe for them,” said the man, who moved northward overnight.