By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern areas of the Gazan city of Deir Al-Balah for the first time on Monday, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes some of the remaining hostages may be being held.

Israeli shelling pummelled the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah on Monday as the army warned it was launching an operation "in an area where it has not operated before". The Israeli military on Sunday ordered those in the central Gaza area, thought to be between 50,000 and 80,000 people, to leave immediately.