Israel-Gaza updates: IDF preparing for 'wide range of offensive plans'

In his first on-camera comments about Israel’s evacuation request for northern Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged Gaza residents to head south. He noted that Hamas will use them as "camouflage," “therefore we need to separate them."

"Those who want to save their life, please go south. We are going to destroy Hamas infrastructures, Hamas headquarters, Hamas military," he said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who appeared at the press conference with Gallant, dodged ABC News' question about how Israel could end the Hamas terror threat without inevitably risking civilian lives. Austin called Israel's military "professional" and "disciplined."

Austin described how ISIS had also embedded themselves in civilian populations and how the anti-ISIS coalition "protected civilians and created corridors for humanitarian movement even in the midst of a pretty significant fight. So again, this is a professional force. It is well led, and I have every expectation that it will be disciplined."

Austin added, "I would tell you that in countering ISIS, I felt as if we were staring evil in the eye, it was truly evil. And what we've seen from Hamas, it takes that evil to another level."

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Israel orders evacuation of Northern Gaza

As the bombing of Gaza continues, Israel is calling on hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes amid fear of an imminent land operation.

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-ABC News' Matt Seyler and Luis Martinez

During his meeting in Jordan with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed the need to cool tension across the West Bank and prevent the conflict from becoming broader, the State Department said.

“The Secretary extended his condolences to the families of Palestinian civilian victims of this conflict, and reiterated that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's legitimate right to dignity, freedom, justice, and self-determination,” a readout from department spokesperson Matt Miller said.

"The Secretary thanked President Abbas and his team for their work to further calm the situation for the benefit of Palestinians, Israelis, and the tens of thousands of Americans who also call the West Bank home. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to cooperation with the Palestinian leadership and people on efforts to ensure security for all," Miller continued.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby avoided saying if the U.S. believed Israel's calls for civilians in Gaza to evacuate in the next 24 hours was possible but acknowledge that it was a "tall order" given how densely populated the area is.

"Well, I think we're going to be careful not to get into armchair quarterbacking the tactics on the ground by the IDF. What I can tell you is we understand what they're trying to do. They're trying to move civilians out of harm's way and giving them fair warning. Now, it's a tall order. It's a million people, and it's a very urban, dense environment, already a combat zone. I don't think anybody's underestimating the challenge here of affecting that evacuation," Kirby said in an interview on CNN Friday morning.

"But it's pretty clear that what they're trying to do is to the maximum extent possible avoid civilian casualties and also separate Hamas from the human shields. I mean, Hamas actually gave a counterorder telling Palestinians in Gaza to stay at home. Why? Because having human shields, they think, protects them," Kirby continued.

Asked about their efforts to secure a safe passage for civilians out of Gaza, Kirby reiterated that the U.S. is talking to Israel and Egypt but would not comment further on progress.

On the Rafah crossing specifically, Kirby said "So far it's still closed. But that doesn't mean were not going to still try as hard as we can to talk to the Israelis and Egyptians about getting it open and having some sort of safe passage out. It's important that we also continue to work to make sure that humanitarian assistance can get in. The United States has no intention of stopping our efforts to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance, but there has to be a path in, there has to be a path out."

Kirby had no update on the Americans who are believed to be held hostage in Gaza and could not confirm reports that 13 hostages have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, as Hamas has claimed.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

In a new clip from a "60 Minutes" interview, set to air in full Sunday on CBS, President Biden says he feels strongly about doing this so the families know that their president "cares deeply" about what has happened and will do "everything in our power to get them home if we can find them."

"I think they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what's happened to them, deeply. We have to communicate to the world--this is critical, this is not even human behavior. It's pure barbarism. And we're going to do everything in our power to get them home if we can find them," Biden said in the short clip.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Molly Nagle