Gaza, Aug 25 (IANS): The Israeli army withdrew from northern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and urged residents in central Gaza to evacuate.

Palestinian security sources on Saturday reported extensive damage to residential buildings after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Khan Younis, Xinhua news agency reported.

The sources added the destruction was particularly severe in Hamad City, a neighbourhood northwest of the city, with dozens of apartments demolished and towers flattened.

Civil defence teams, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other organisations and units are busy searching for missing persons in the areas invaded by the Israeli army, said local sources and eyewitnesses.

They added several bodies and remains were recovered and transported to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged residents in some parts of central Gaza to evacuate immediately.

"For your safety, evacuate these areas immediately and move to humanitarian zones," he said.

The Israeli army also noted that its combat team from the 7th Brigade is engaged in battles on the outskirts of Deir al-Balah, destroying dozens of "terrorist infrastructures" and eliminating numerous operatives.

In a separate statement, the army claimed to have destroyed a 500-metre-long tunnel belonging to the Islamic Jihad movement in Khan Younis.

During a raid, the forces also found and destroyed several protective vests, hand grenades, and a ready-to-launch rocket platform.

Israel has been waging a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were taken hostage.

The prolonged conflict has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians in the enclave.

US and Israeli delegations started a new round of meetings in Cairo on Thursday aimed at resolving differences over a truce proposal to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said.

Egyptian and US officials had met to seek compromises over plans for providing security on the border between Egypt and Gaza following an Israeli military withdrawal demanded by Hamas, the sources said.

The proposals were due to be presented to Israeli officials later on Thursday, with a Qatari delegation which joined on Friday, they added.

Egypt, along with the US and Qatar, has been a mediator in months of stop-start negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.