Saudi Arabia condemns 'in strongest terms' the Israeli ground operation in Gaza city

DUBAI - Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned "in the strongest terms" the Israeli ground operation in Gaza City, the kingdom's foreign ministry said in a statement, a day after Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on the enclave.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it was opening an additional route for 48 hours that Palestinians could use to leave Gaza City as it stepped up efforts to empty the city of civilians and confront thousands of Hamas combatants.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders to move south because of the dangers along the way, dire conditions, a lack of food in the southern area, and fear of permanent displacement.

"Even if we want to leave Gaza City, is there any guarantee we would be able to come back? Will the war ever end? That's why I prefer to die here, in Sabra, my neighbourhood," Ahmed, a school teacher, said by phone.

At least 30 people were killed across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in Israel's latest strikes, including 19 in Gaza City, local health authorities said.

A day after Israel announced the launch of a ground offensive to seize control of Gaza's main urban centre, tanks had moved short distances towards the city's central and western areas from three directions, but no major advance was reported.

An Israeli official said military operations were focused on getting civilians to head south and that fighting would intensify over the next month or two.