Tel Aviv - Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip on Friday, marking their first incursions since Hamas fighters carried out a series of attacks in southern Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that this was just the beginning of a retaliatory campaign.

Israel has pledged to eliminate Hamas after its fighters infiltrated Gaza a week ago, launching assaults on towns and villages, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,300 Israelis, primarily civilians, and the capture of numerous hostages.

Since then, Israel has imposed a complete blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and subjected it to extensive airstrikes. Gaza authorities report approximately 1,900 casualties.

On Friday, Israel issued a 24-hour evacuation order to over a million residents in the northern part of Gaza to escape a potential offensive. In response, Hamas vowed to resist to the end and urged residents to stay put.

According to Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, troops, supported by tanks, carried out operations to target Palestinian rocket crews and gather information about the whereabouts of hostages. This is the first official confirmation of ground troops in Gaza since the crisis began.

Netanyahu issued a stern warning, saying, "Our enemies have only just started paying the price. I cannot reveal what will happen, but I am telling you this is just the beginning. We will never forgive, we will never let the world forget these horrors inflicted on the Jewish people. We will fight our enemies using a power without limit."

A significant number of Gaza residents attempted to leave the northern part of the Gaza Strip, but it was challenging to estimate their numbers. Many residents chose to remain, proclaiming, "Death is better than leaving."

Mosques broadcast messages urging people to hold onto their homes and land.

The UN and other organizations expressed concerns about a humanitarian disaster if so many people were forced to flee and called for the blockade to be lifted to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated, "The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerous new low. We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food, and water to everyone in need. Even wars have rules."

Earlier, a UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, expressed concerns about the devastating humanitarian consequences of Gazans obeying Israel's evacuation order, leading to a rebuke from Israel, which called for the UN to condemn Hamas and support Israel's right to self-defense.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby acknowledged the difficulty of such a massive evacuation but did not question Israel's decision to isolate civilians from Hamas.

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan that the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza would be a repetition of the events of 1948 when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from what is now Israel. Most Gazans are descendants of those refugees.

With Gaza already one of the most densely populated places on Earth, there is currently no way out. Israel has imposed a complete blockade, and Egypt has resisted calls to open its border to fleeing residents.

Hamas released a video showing its fighters with a baby and a toddler in one of the villages they raided, while Israel alleged that entire families had been killed.

"We are fighting for our home. We are fighting for our future," said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "The path will be long, but ultimately I promise you we will win."

Austin confirmed that military aid was being provided to Israel and emphasized the need for resolve rather than revenge.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He later visited Qatar, an ally of the United States with influence among Islamist groups.

In the West Bank, supporters of Gaza engaged in gun battles with Israeli security forces, resulting in 11 reported fatalities, according to Palestinian officials.

There are concerns of hostilities spreading to new fronts, including the northern border of Israel with Lebanon, where recent clashes have been the deadliest since 2006.

Reuters news videographer Issam Abdallah was killed while working in southern Lebanon, and investigations are ongoing. Israeli shelling near the Lebanese border prompted concerns, with the Israeli military stating it was responding to a suspected armed infiltration, later confirmed as a false alarm. Lebanese state media reported shell strikes near Alma Al-Shaab and Dhayra, sites of recent clashes. Israel's UN envoy pledged to investigate the situation following the journalist's death.