Children among dead as fleeing Palestinian convoy struck on evacuation route
The strike occurred on Salah-al-Din street; one of two evacuation routes from north Gaza to the south.
At least 12 people, including young children, have been killed in a strike on a Palestinian convoy fleeing northern Gaza via a designated evacuation route.
The 45-km Salah al-Deen road, which runs north to south across Gaza, is being used as one of the main evacuation routes. Local reports also suggested the strike had occurred on this road, according to BBC live updates.
The BBC confirmed women and young children were killed when a strike hit their vehicles as they headed away from northern Gaza. Analysis of images from the scene showed some of those who died were aged between two and five.
They are mostly women and children - some of whom appear to be as young as two to five years old.
Most are seen lying on the back of flatbed truck – others are scattered around the road. Other damaged vehicles also litter the area.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says 70 people were killed at the scene, and have blamed Israel for the attack.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) says it is investigating but said its enemies are trying to prevent civilians leaving the north.
More than a million Palestinians were told on Friday to relocate ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.
The evacuation area includes the whole of Gaza City and two major refugee camps, Jabalia and Beach Camp.
Human rights organisations have said such a mass movement of people will inevitably prove chaotic and extremely hazardous - the UN called a movement of this many people in a short time frame "impossible".
The road was full of traffic all day yesterday as Gazans based in the north adhered to Israeli warnings to vacate the area, the BBC reported.