Israeli troops on the border with Gaza have been told to annihilate Hamas in a rallying cry by the defence minister who said the army would soon be in the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant suggested a ground invasion of Gaza was imminent as he met the soldiers on Friday morning (AEDT).

“You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come,” Gallant told soldiers.

He said there was “no forgiveness” for the Hamas militant group that launched a brutal attack on Israeli soil on October 7, killing 1400 people.

“Only total annihilation of Hamas organisation – terror infrastructures, everything that has to do with terrorists and whoever sent them.

“It will take a week, it will take a month, it will take two months, until we eliminate them. You are not alone in battle.

“We trust you and count on you. Carry on training while there is time.”

Troops were not expected to enter while foreign leaders were visiting.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv hours after US President Joe Biden.

“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you,” Sunak told Israelis.

Israel has responded to the deadliest attack in its 75-year history by vowing to destroy Hamas, putting the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people under a total siege, and bombarding the enclave.

More than 3700 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, and one million are now homeless after Israel ordered an evacuation of northern Gaza ahead of its invasion.

Palestinians across Gaza are also in desperate need of humanitarian aid after Israel blocked all supplies of food, fuel and water.

Aid agencies have sprung into action, with 20 trucks queued near the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip for the first deliveries of aid since Israel began a complete “siege”.

But the World Health Organisation says 100 trucks a day will be needed due to the immense scale of the crisis.

US citizens warned

The crisis in the Middle East is reverberating around the world, and the US State Department issued a security alert for its citizens overseas.

The warning cited increased tensions in various locations around the world and the potential for extremist attacks and violence.

Demonstrations erupted in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and elsewhere amid outrage across the Middle East over an explosion on Tuesday at a hospital in Gaza.

Meanwhile in Europe, next month’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Paris were cancelled, with organisers citing “the volatility of world events” amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

The awards ceremony, scheduled to be broadcast live and at which the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny and the Foo Fighters were among nominees, was due to be held on November 5 at Paris Nord Villepinte.

“Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life,” a representative said in a statement.

“As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning.”

-with AAP