The Israeli military on Friday declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” as it prepared for a full-scale assault on the Palestinian territory’s largest urban center after nearly two years of war.
“Starting today (Friday) at 10:00 (0700 GMT), the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone,” the army said in a statement, referring to daily pauses introduced in certain areas to allow humanitarian aid delivery.
Although the statement did not issue an immediate evacuation order, the army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said earlier in the week that Gaza City’s evacuation was “inevitable.”
The UN estimates nearly one million people currently live in Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surrounding areas in the north.
AFP images on Thursday showed Palestinians fleeing south in vehicles overloaded with mattresses, chairs, and household belongings.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had vowed last week to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to end the war on Israel’s terms. His ministry subsequently approved the military’s operation to seize the city and authorised the mobilization of around 60,000 reservists.
The military said it would continue to “support humanitarian efforts alongside ongoing maneuvering and offensive operations against terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that 33 people were killed by Israeli forces across the enclave on Friday. The Israeli military told AFP it was “checking” the reports. Due to media restrictions and limited access, AFP could not independently verify the figures.
The war erupted after the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed at least 62,966 Palestinians, the majority civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN regards these figures as reliable.
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