IDF proposes 'plan' to "evacuate" Gaza

• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has presented a plan to "evacuate" civilians in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu's office said

• Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would continue striking Hezbollah in Lebanon regardless of a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza

Israeli army presents plan to evacuate civilians in Gaza

The Israeli army has presented a plan to evacuate civilians in the Gaza Strip, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

"The [Israeli army] presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from the areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, with the upcoming operational plan," it said in a statement.

The statement also said that the war cabinet approved a plan to deliver humanitarian aid safely into the besieged territory.

Further details were not provided, including where the evacuated civilians would go.

The announcement comes as highly criticised plans continue for a new military offensive in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the fighting.

Israel vows to continue fighting Hezbollah even if ceasefire reached with Hamas

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed to continue strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon regardless of whether Israel agrees to a temporary cease-fire with Hamas militants in Gaza.

"If anyone thinks that when we reach a deal to release hostages in the south and the firing stops it will ease what is happening here they are wrong," Gallant said in a video posted to social media.

"We will continue the fire, and we will do so independently from the south, until we achieve our goals," he added.

Gallant made the comments during a visit to the Israeli army's northern command post in Safed, which was hit by a rocket strike from Lebanon earlier this month.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded near-daily strikes since early October. Tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border have been displaced amid the conflict.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shiite political party and militant group in Lebanon. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several other governments.

zc/ab (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)