<span style="color: #222222;">The Israeli military said it would continue to allow Palestinians to evacuate south ahead of an expected ground assault by its forces on the Gaza Strip. The army said on Sunday, hundreds of thousands have already moved to the south.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Israel Defence forces claimed that the Hamas terrorists were actively preventing Palestinians from evacuating to the south in order to protect themselves.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Gaza Health Ministry said that 2,329 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting erupted while in Israel, more than 1,300 Israelis have been killed.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, the United States has sent a second aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean. US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin said that the presence of the USS Eisenhower and its affiliated warships in the eastern Mediterranean signalled Washington's commitment to Israel's security. The Eisenhower joins the USS Ford carrier strike group, which reached earlier in the week.</span><br />