Nine hours of frantic negotiation with the Israeli military. A last-minute scramble to find trucks in a devastated Gaza Strip, where fuel is in short supply. Six hours of frantic packing, carefully stacking cardboard boxes on open flatbed trucks.

The Israeli army said it has struck more than 150 targets in Gaza City since launching a major ground offensive on the Gaza Strip's main urban hub early on Tuesday.

"Over the past two days, the (Israeli air force) and artillery corps troops struck over 150 terror targets throughout Gaza City in support of the manoeuvring troops in the area," the military said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The EU on Wednesday proposed curbing trade ties with Israel and sanctioning ministers in its strongest action over the war in Gaza, but the measures will struggle to be adopted due to reluctance from key member states.

"I want to be very clear, the aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

A coalition of leading aid groups Wednesday urged the international community to take stronger measures to stop Israel's offensive on Gaza City after a commission of UN experts found Israel was committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel announced on Wednesday a "temporary" new route for residents to flee Gaza City, as it launched an intense ground offensive after massive bombardment of the Palestinian territory's main city.

The Israeli military "announces the opening of a temporary transportation route via Salah al-Din Street", spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement, adding that "the route will be open for 48 hours only".

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hamas would be in "big trouble" if they use hostages in Gaza as human shields during a new offensive launched by Israel.

"We'll wait to hear what happens, because I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal, and if they do that they're going to be in big trouble," Trump told reporters when asked about Israel's offensive.

Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced on Tuesday a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm to Druze-majority Sweida province, which witnessed deadly violence in July.

"The Syrian government has laid out a clear roadmap for action... that supports justice and builds trust," Shaibani said in a press conference, adding that the plan involves "holding accountable" those who attacked civilians, "compensating those affected", and "launching a process of internal reconciliation".

Yemen's Houthi rebels reported Israeli strikes on the country's Hodeida port on Tuesday, after Israel's military issued evacuation warnings for the area.

The rebel Al-Masirah television reported "a series of raids by Israeli enemy aircraft on the port of Hodeida", while military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group's air defenses were "currently confronting Israeli enemy aircraft launching an aggression against our country".

Palestinian residents reported heavy strikes Tuesday across Gaza City and Israel's defense minister said that "Gaza is burning" as a new Israeli ground offensive targeted the city.

Airstrikes have pounded Gaza City for some time in the lead-up to the operation, knocking down towers in the city.

Arab and Muslim leaders called for a review of ties with Israel after emergency talks in Doha on Monday following last week's deadly strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital.