The United States is evacuating Americans in Israel as it deployed a second aircraft carrier to the region to deter hostile actions against the Jewish state.

The US embassy in Israel said in a security alert on Sunday that a ship will take American families with valid travel document from the port of Haifa to Limassol, Cyprus.

Boarding starts at 8 a.m. on Monday with each passenger required to sign a document promising to repay the cost of the trip and will only be allowed to carry one suitcase, the embassy said.

It added that some chartered flights would be arranged from Cyprus for onward travel.

Tens of thousands of US passport holders live in Israel and 29 have been confirmed killed in the Hamas attacks on 7 October. Another 15 are missing and believed to be among hostages held by Hamas since the attacks.

Meanwhile, the USS Eisenhower and its escort ships joined the USS Ford carrier strike group which arrived earlier in the week in the eastern Mediterranean to deter any state or non-state actor from escalating the war between Israel and Hamas, the militant Palestinian group controlling Gaza Strip, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

US President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday and they talked on coordination with the United Nations, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and others in the region to ensure innocent civilians have access to water, food and medical care," the White House said.

Israel's military is poised to move ground troops into Gaza to hunt down Hamas fighters and rescue hostages.

More than one million people in the northern part of the crowded enclave have been ordered to flee ahead of the expected assault, an exodus that aid groups said would set off a humanitarian disaster.

Israel has also cut off food, water and electricity supplies to Gaza's 2.4 million people, as well as started striking Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas raids of southern Israel communities that killed 1,300 mostly civilian victims.

Gaza health officials said the bombardment has killed more than 2,200 people, mostly civilians.

China plea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appealed to Israel to stop its collective punishment of the people of Gaza by striking the Palestinian enclave.

"Israel's actions have gone beyond the scope of self-defense," Wang said according to a foreign ministry readout released on Sunday.

"It should listen earnestly to the calls of the international community and the UN secretary general, and cease its collective punishment of the people of Gaza," he said in the strongest stance China has expressed so far on the conflict.

Wang's remarks were made on a call to his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday.

Wang told Prince Faisal that "all parties should not take any action to escalate the situation and should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible."

The country's state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday that China's special envoy Zhai Jun will visit the Middle East next week to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and promote peace talks.

Zhai "will visit the Middle East next week to coordinate with various parties for a ceasefire, to protect civilians, ease the situation, and promote peace talks," CCTV said in a video posted to its official social media account on Sunday.

WITH AFP