Since then, Israeli air and artillery strikes on Gaza have killed 9,488 people, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says. As Israeli ground troops entered Gaza a week ago, cutting the territory in two and surrounding Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, conditions in the north have worsened with more intense bombardment and acute shortages. On Saturday Israel's military said it would allow civilians to leave Gaza City by the main road southwards for three hours, but Reuters was unable to locate any people who had done so. Several Gaza City residents Reuters did speak to said they were too frightened to attempt the crossing, with some pointing to recent accounts of deaths on the main roads connecting south and north. Strikes destroyed the water tower in Maghazi at a time when clean water supplies were already incredibly scarce said Hassan Abu Mashayekh, 63, a camp resident.

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Persons: Abu Mustafa, Israel's, Israel, Ismail, Ashraf al, I'm, Abu Tamer, Saeed al, Hassan Abu Mashayekh, Nidal al, Angus McDowall, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Rafah, Gaza, Gaza City, Egypt, Maghazi