The White House has warned Israel against carrying out offensive operations in southern Gaza until it has adjusted to account for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have fled south amid fierce fighting in the north, Paralel.Az reports citing CNN.

Israel's military, which has said Hamas leadership also fled south, is likely to move into the southern enclave, according to White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, who added that the country has the “right” to do so, despite the serious concerns over civilian casualties.

“We think that their operations should not go forward until those people, those additional civilians, have been accounted for," he said, adding, "We will be conveying that directly to them."

Finer told CBS' "Face the Nation" that Israel should learn from its operations in the north and focus on "greater and enhanced protections for civilian life."

Finer suggested "narrowing the area of active combat" and "clarifying where civilians can seek refuge from the fighting" to help that happen.