TEL AVIV, October 13. /TASS/. Israel is asking Gaza civilians to evacuate to the south of the strip as it doesn’t want to harm them, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a joint news conference with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin.

"We are asking all civilians in Gaza to head to the south of the strip. The reason is that we don’t want to harm them," he said. " We need to separate [terrorists from civilians]. So, anyone who wants to save their lives, please move to the south."

According to the minister, Israel aims to destroy Hamas infrastructure, headquarters and militants, completely wiping out the organization, as its supporters "cannot live among civilized people."

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General, earlier said Israel had informed the UN that 1.1 million Palestinians should evacuate to the south of the Gaza Strip within 24 hours. Dujarric noted that this requirement also applies to all UN staff, along with those who have taken refuge in UN facilities, including schools, medical centers and clinics. The Israel Defense Forces later published the call for Gaza Strip residents to evacuate to the south on Telegram.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7. Hamas regards the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and has started delivering strikes on that area and parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank. More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,200 wounded. Also, up to 1,500 Israelis have been killed and almost 4,000 wounded.