Israel's military said on Monday that expanded operations in Gaza approved by the government would include displacing "most" residents of the Palestinian territory, with the UN chief expressing alarm at the plan.

The Israeli security cabinet approved overnight the plan, which an Israeli official said will entail "the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories".

The decision comes as the United Nations and aid organisations have repeatedly warned of the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again looming after more than two months of a total Israeli blockade.

A UN spokesman said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "alarmed" by the Israeli plan that "will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza".

"Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian state," said spokesman Farhan Haq.

A second senior Israeli security official said that "a central component of the plan is a large-scale evacuation of the entire Gazan population from the fighting zones... to areas in southern Gaza".

Military spokesman Effie Defrin said the planned offensive will include "moving most of the population of the Gaza Strip... to protect them".

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