TEL AVIV, November 14. /TASS/. Over one million civilians could have left northern Gaza since the start of Israel’s ground operations, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Peter Lerner said at a briefing.

"Over the different periods of time, I can say that we’ve had quite a substantial success with several hundreds of thousands - some estimate that over a million - people have evacuated from northern areas and headed down south, which, of course, gives the ground operations the ability to maneuver and identify the enemy wherever they are hiding," he pointed out.

However, according to Lerner, distinguishing between terrorists and civilians is "a huge challenge."

On November 11, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that nearly 200,000 people had left the city of Gaza in the previous three days. He added that civilians were leaving the northern part of Gaza in spite of instructions from Hamas, which was using the civilian population as a human shield, hampering evacuation efforts.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.