Around 100,00 civilians have left Gaza City amid a widening military operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the cabinet meeting.
"About 100,000 people have left Gaza. Hamas is trying to do everything to prevent them from leaving and to keep them there to serve as human shields," Netanyahu said.
The IDF has been trying to get civilians in Gaza City to evacuate to the south as troops move closer to the heart of the city.
The UN estimates that around 1 million Palestinians remain in Gaza City.