A Palestinian woman from Gaza's eastern Shejaiya district cries and shouts in Gaza City on July 20, 2014, after fleeing her home following heavy Israeli shelling that left casualties lying in the streets, an AFP correspondent reported.
Gaza City:
Thousands of people fled Gaza's eastern Shejaiya district early on Sunday, many of them on foot, after heavy shelling left casualties lying in the streets, an AFP correspondent reported.
Ambulances were unable to reach much of the area along the border because of heavy fire, and emergency services told AFP there were reports of dead and wounded trapped by the bombardment.
Emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP that the bodies of at least 20 people from Shejaiya had been retrieved, with hundreds of people wounded.
He said the toll was expected to rise significantly.
Paramedics said they were liaising with the International Committee of the Red Cross to try to coordinate entry into areas that were still under heavy fire.