Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had seized a corridor of land, seemingly cutting off one of Gaza largest cities from the rest of the enclave.

A senior Hamas official urged supporters worldwide on Monday to take up weapons and fight plans to displace Gaza's people, as Israel issued a sweeping evacuation order in the territory's south, stepping up its renewed offensive.

Israel is making plans for a potential major ground offensive in Gaza that would involve sending tens of thousands of troops into combat to clear and occupy large swaths of the enclave, an Israeli official and a second source familiar with the matter said.