Palestinian group Hamas said on Sunday that Israel's plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.
The group said the planned deployment of tents and other shelter equipment by Israel into southern Gaza was a "blatant deception".
The Israeli military has said it is preparing to provide tents and other equipment ahead of its plan to relocate residents from combat zones to the south of the enclave "to ensure their safety".
Hamas said in a statement that the deployment of tents under the guise of humanitarian purposes is a blatant deception intended to "cover up a brutal crime that the occupation forces prepare to execute".
Israel said earlier this month that it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban centre.
The plan has raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished strip, which is home to about 2.2 million people.
Israel's military assault has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says. It has also caused a hunger crisis , internally displaced most of Gaza's population and left much of the enclave in ruins.
Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives.
Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
"Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life," Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv.
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