The Israeli military has ordered civilians to temporarily evacuate from part of its designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza ahead of what it called a “forceful operation” against Palestinian armed groups.

Mughrabi, Ari Rabinovitch and Hatem Khaled CAIRO/JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 16 Palestinians near Khan Younis, Gaza medics said on Monday, after Israel issued new orders to evacuate some neighbourhoods following what it said were renewed attacks from those areas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Monday to deliver a key speech, as the military ordered fresh evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis before sending in troops.

The area slated for evacuation included the eastern part of the al-Muwasi humanitarian zone, in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military called for an evacuation because it said that Hamas militants had embedded themselves in the area and launched frequent rockets towards Israel.

The Israeli military has expanded its evacuation order to the whole of Gaza City after sending tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing from several of the city’s neighborhoods earlier this week.

The Israeli military on Monday called on Gazans to clear out of the eastern parts of the city Khan Younis, saying it was preparing to "forcefully operate" against renewed rocket fire and militant activity from the area,

The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of part of the Muwasi humanitarian zone in Gaza to start an operation against Hamas militants. Negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire are ongoing. View on euron

Israel intensified its bombing campaign on residential areas in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.