Israeli forces have continued to bomb and battle Hamas in Gaza City as tens of thousands of Palestinians scrambled for a safe haven after the army issued an evacuation order for a vast swathe in the territory’s south, AFP reports.

Apache helicopters and Israeli quadcopter drones flew above Gaza City’s Shujaiya district as heavy gunfire echoed through the streets, said AFP reporters.

Ten days after Netanyahu said the offensive’s “intense phase” was winding down, the Israeli military again rained down air strikes and artillery fire in the Shujaiya district.

The air force claimed striking “over 50 terror infrastructure sites” across Gaza in 24 hours while ground troops “eliminated terrorists”, located tunnels and found weapons including AK-47 assault rifles, the military said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a US media report saying his generals were urging a Gaza truce even with Hamas undefeated, stressing on Tuesday that “this will not happen”. Military chief Herzi Halevi meanwhile said Israel is engaged in “a long campaign” to destroy Hamas.