HAMAS guerillas and Israeli troops fought fierce battles across Gaza yesterday as the intense fighting prevented the distribution of vital aid and sparked a “hunger war” among Palestinians.

Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city, has been the scene of bitter clashes as the trail of death and destruction moves down the coastal enclave.

The fighting is quickly shrinking the area where the besieged Palestinians can seek safety and is pushing large numbers of people, many of whom have been forced to flee multiple times, toward the sealed border with Egypt.