The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone”, ending a tactical pause that had allowed limited food deliveries to the famine-hit area. The move signals an expanded assault on the city, where a UN-backed food body earlier this month confirmed famine conditions.
In a statement on X, the IDF said: “In accordance with the situational assessment & directives of the political echelon, starting today at 10:00, the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone.” The military has been pounding parts of the city with planes and tanks over the past week, deploying armoured vehicles to its outskirts.
An estimated one million Palestinians are expected to be displaced by the assault, many of them too frail or elderly to move repeatedly. Mohammed Abu Afash, director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, told Al Jazeera that southern Gaza is already overcrowded and cannot accommodate the influx, with the army targeting areas it claims are safe.
Israel has also recovered the body of hostage Ilan Weiss from Gaza, along with another unidentified individual, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed. Meanwhile, the US State Department announced it is denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting in September, a move hailed by Israel as “a bold step”.
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 63,025 Palestinians have been killed and 159,490 injured since 7 October 2023, including 59 killed in the last 24 hours. Israel rejected famine findings, accusing organisations of relying on “Hamas lies”. The UN warns the assault will worsen civilian suffering in an area already gripped by famine.
