Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing south on foot with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north, a United Nations agency said Wednesday, as Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City. Over 70% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have already fled their homes, but the growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza's largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment. The war triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 assault inside Israel has entered its second month, with an increasingly dire humanitarian situation inside the besieged Palestinian enclave and no end in sight. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday rejected Israel's plan to maintain "overall security responsibility" for the Gaza Strip after the war, saying the Palestinian Authority must ultimately take charge of the battered Palestinian enclave. Tap the link in bio to read the latest updates about the conflict. 📸: Mohammed Abed, @afpphoto via @gettyimages; Abed Khaled, @apnews