Top US officials are warning the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a wider conflict across the Middle East.

They fear the Lebanese group Hezbollah could attack Israel’s north or that Iran might get involved.

The American officials also say they are trying to ensure Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip have access to food, water and shelter as Israeli forces prepare for an expected ground assault on the tiny, densely populated enclave.

Israel has unleashed a ferocious bombing campaign over Gaza in retaliation for unprecedented attacks inside Israel by the militant group Hamas eight days ago that killed some 1300 Israelis, mostly civilians.

Gaza authorities say more than 2200 people have been killed there, a quarter of them children.

Iran has spoken of “far reaching consequences” if Israel’s “war crimes and genocide” are not stopped.

The message came on Sunday after Axios reported that Tehran had told Israel – in a message sent via the UN – that it would have to respond if Israel carries out its expected ground offensive.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told US broadcaster CBS that “there is a risk of an escalation of this conflict, the opening of a second front in the north and, of course, Iran’s involvement.”

The comments were echoed by White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who told Fox News the White House was worried about “a potential escalation or a widening of this conflict.”

Sullivan also discussed a weapons package for Israel and Ukraine, whose value he said would be “significantly higher” than $US2 billion ($3.2 billion).

He told CBS that US President Joe Biden planned to have intensive talks on the package with Congress, which has been hobbled by Republicans’ struggles to pick a new speaker of the House of Representatives.

In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Biden said: “We must not lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas’ appalling attacks, and are suffering as a result of them.”

Tweet from @POTUS

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he would travel to the region with other senators in coming days to push continued negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Egypt border to open, water pipe back on

In a meeting on Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed ways to keep civilians in Gaza out of harm’s way, and how get American citizens stuck in the territory out, according to a State Department statement.

Blinken also said he wanted to make sure the civilian population that remained in Gaza had access to food, water and safe shelter, telling CNN that Israeli officials recently restored access to water in parts of Gaza.

“I have been in touch with my Israeli counterparts just within the last hour, who report to me that they have in fact turned the water pipe back on in southern Gaza that has been subject of discussion over the course of the past few days,” he said.

Later, Blinken said the Egypt-controlled border crossing into Gaza would reopen and the US was working with Egypt, Israel and the United Nations to get assistance through it.

Hundreds of tonnes of aid from several countries have been waiting in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.

Aus Parliament tribute to Israeli lives lost

Australia’s parliament will pay tribute to the devastating scenario Israel is going through after the Hamas attack.

The government will move motions in both houses when parliament resumes this week.

Just under 940 Australians who registered with the foreign affairs department have left Israel. A further 1540 remain listed.

About 300 of these have registered for information only.

A combination of chartered and defence planes left on Sunday after scheduled repatriation flights were cancelled the day before.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said evacuation flights remained subject to the rapidly changing security situation.

“We are also co-ordinating options with partners who are helping their own citizens with departures,” she said in Adelaide on Sunday.

Australian Defence Force planes also remain on standby to evacuate citizens from Israel after scheduled repatriation flights were cancelled due to security concerns.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said flights could be put in place almost immediately when the green light was given.

“But there are other circumstances beyond our control that potentially make it all difficult,” he said.

This includes whether Israel closes its airspace.

The government is working with commercial carriers to help Australians get home from Dubai after leaving Israel.

Wong is also working on securing the safe passage of citizens out of occupied Palestinian territories. She said she was working with the Egyptians and Israelis to establish a safe humanitarian corridor.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is of serious concern and continues to deteriorate,” she said.

“I know how distressing this is for Australians in Gaza, I want to reiterate our commitment to do everything we can to ensure the border is opened.”

Wong called on humanitarian law to be protected as she reaffirmed Australia’s support for Israel to defend itself after the attack.

Marles said he would not cast judgment about how Israel retaliated with Tel Aviv’s blockade of food, water and fuel to Gaza condemned as collective punishment against innocents by international humanitarian groups.

He said while it was important Israel acted within the rules of war, he believed it was doing so.

“I’m not casting a negative judgment on what they’re doing,” he said.

“But … I’m not sitting in their control room either, I don’t have all the information available to me that they will have to them.”

New rally planned for Palestinians.

Young families were among thousands of people who attended rallies calling for a free Palestine and an end to deadly Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Despite fears of violence and police warnings to stay away, more than 6000 people gathered at demonstrations in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide on Sunday, following rallies on Friday in Brisbane and Perth.

Rally organiser Palestine Action Group Sydney on Sunday announced plans for a march next weekend at Town Hall.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said the group’s new application would be considered on its merits but no decision had been made.

It comes after original plans were rejected on technical grounds for a pro-Palestine rally at Town Hall in Sydney’s CBD on Sunday.

That decision followed anti-Semitic chants and flares being set off at a similar rally outside the Opera House on Monday night, when the landmark was lit in Israeli colours in a show of solidarity.

A denied application to hold a protest or rally could effectively be appealed in the Supreme Court, a step that organisers were conscious of when warning Sunday’s crowd to remain peaceful.

“What happens today will help determine how the courts and the government look upon that [application],” attendees were told.

“Let’s be clear, we will not stop but we do not want to give them a free kick.”

Cooke said the largely peaceful gathering and lack of arrests on Sunday was “certainly encouraging” for future applications.

-AAP