Israel presses on in Gaza after US veto on truce bid

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Israel ordered residents out of the center of Gaza's main southern city Khan Yunis and pounded the length of the enclave overnight through Sunday, after the United States wielded its UN Security Council veto to shield its ally from a demand for a cease-fire.

Since a truce with Hamas in the two-month-old conflict collapsed on Dec 1, Israel has expanded its ground assault into the southern half of the Gaza Strip, pushing into Khan Yunis, where residents reported fierce battles. Both sides reported a surge in fighting in the north.

An official toll of deaths in Gaza from the Palestinian health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave exceeded 17,700 on Saturday, with many thousands missing and presumed dead under the rubble. The ministry has said about 40 percent of deaths were of children under 18.