Israel's military on Friday called for all civilians of Gaza City, more than one million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks ahead of an expected ground offensive in response to a devastating attack by Hamas.

Warning that the Israeli military would "continue to operate significantly" in Gaza in following days, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the civilians would be able to return "only when another announcement permitting it is made." 

'We're steadfast on our land'

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which controls the Gaza Strip, dismissed the Israeli army's call as disseminating "false propaganda" in an attempt to wage a "psychological war," while urging Gaza-based Palestinians to "remain steadfast" at home, according to a statement issued by its organ for refugee affairs.

"Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt," Hamas said in a statement.

"We are steadfast on our land and in our homes and our cities. There will be no displacement," it said.

The evacuation call sparked condemnation from the United Nations (UN), the Arab League and regional countries like Türkiye and Egypt.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, described the UN response to Israel's early warning to the residents of Gaza as "shameful."

"Moving more than one million people across a densely populated war zone to a place with no food, water or accommodation, when the entire territory is under siege, is extremely dangerous – and in some cases, simply not possible," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday.

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said Israel's order to Palestinians to evacuate the north of the blockaded Gaza Strip is a "forced transfer" that constitutes "a crime."

Egypt's Rafah crossing is the only route out of Gaza not controlled by Israel and has been bombed on several occasions this week. 

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt remains committed to ensuring the delivery of aid to Gaza, but urged Palestinians to "remain on their land."

'Worse than we've already seen'

An "extensive attack" against Hamas targets was continuing Friday night, and remotely manned aircraft were striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the IDF said.

The fresh round of fierce fight between Israel and Palestine, which began on October 7, has killed over 3,000 people on both sides, including over 1,900 Palestinians and more than 1,300 Israelis, according to authorities from both sides.

At least 13 hostages captured by Hamas were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the past 24 hours, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said Friday.

The UN humanitarian office said more than 400,000 people had fled their homes in Gaza and 23 aid workers had been killed.

In south Lebanon, a Lebanese photographer was killed and six other reporters were injured Friday evening from Israeli attacks on the village of Alma al-Shaab, Lebanese TV channel MTV reported.

"We are heading for a really dreadful period, even worse than what we have already seen," Barbara Slavin, a foreign policy expert and a distinguished fellow at the U.S. think tank Stimson, told CGTN in a televised interview.

Expressing her worries that the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict is going to drag all sides into bloody battlefields, she urged all parties to find a way to live together.

"At the end of the day, there are still Israelis and Palestinians, and there are still Arab citizens and Jewish citizens," said Barbara. She warned that if they cannot provide rights and dignity to any one of the party, "there will be if not another attack by Hamas, then by some other group." The root causes are the fact that "Palestinians have no prospect of their own state and are treated terribly especially in occupied territories," she said.

(With input from agencies)