Israel’s military says it will no longer pause fighting in
Gaza City for aid deliveries, a move expected to worsen the famine in the north
of the territory.
As the military gets ready for a ground operation that humanitarian organizations and many of Israel's closest allies have warned will be disastrous for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians already fighting to survive Israeli attacks, hunger, and disease, Israeli forces have been increasing their attacks in and around Gaza City.
The health ministry in Gaza reported on Friday that 59 people had been killed by Israeli attacks and five had died from starvation in the past 24 hours.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared in a statement on X that beginning Friday am, Gaza City would no longer be subject to the "local tactical pause." Israel has not issued an evacuation order for citizens, but the military declared the entire city to be a "dangerous combat zone."
Only one-fifth of Gaza is populated by residents, and almost 80% of the territory is under evacuation orders. Israeli attacks have targeted sites it has designated as "humanitarian zones," thus even those areas are not safe.
According to reports, military chiefs are still debating whether the military can carry out Benjamin Netanyahu's orders following nearly two years of war, but the Israeli military has characterized the current attacks as the "initial stages" of a planned operation.
The Israeli military also declared Friday that it had found the bodies of another unidentified captive and Ilan Weiss, a 55-year-old hostage. Weiss's body was sent to Gaza after he was murdered in the attack on October 7.
Israel also somewhat relaxed its restrictions on relief supplies, but the new policies did little more than slow the spread of starvation in Gaza City rather than stop it.
In recent weeks, the formerly affluent Zeitoun neighborhood has been completely destroyed, and Israeli tanks have advanced into the city's outskirts.
The military escalation occurs at the same time as mediators report that Hamas has agreed to provisions of a potential part-ceasefire agreement that is currently on the table, which Israel had already agreed to.
According to polls, the majority of Israelis support stopping the war in exchange for the release of hostages. The proposed operation has drawn harsh domestic criticism from many, who fear it will put the remaining captives in danger and heavily tax already worn-out forces.
In the past, Israel's military spokesperson stated that the impending operation meant that all Palestinians in Gaza City, which currently houses roughly half of Gaza's inhabitants, would have to be forcibly displaced.
As residents fled in fear of a fresh attack, the UN said Thursday that about 23,000 Palestinians had already left Gaza City in the last week. However, a lot of people have declined to go.
In the few areas of south Gaza that are not under evacuation orders, there isn't much room for extra people, and many individuals have been killed either while traveling to or after arriving at supposedly safe areas.
Many people in Gaza City would find it difficult to walk there due to extreme hunger. Vehicles and even animals for transportation are few.
Gaza's health ministry stated it lacked the resources to treat the whole population in the event that everyone in the city was forced south, and relief organizations claimed they had not been informed in advance of Israel's statement on Friday.
European nations were incensed by Israel's declaration, and the foreign ministers of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain denounced the offensive and Israel's intentions to establish a permanent headquarters in Gaza City.
The Associated Press was informed on Friday by the Holy Family Church of Gaza City that neither the clergy nor the about 440 individuals seeking sanctuary within the building would be departing. Religious leaders in Gaza earlier this week declared that many of the weak and emaciated individuals taking refuge in churches would face a "death sentence" if they fled.
The attorney general's office debated Friday whether the government might apprehend draft evaders at Israel's border crossings.
Israeli leaders have not responded to the most recent ceasefire offering from Hamas, despite mounting domestic and international pressure. Steve Witkoff, the US ambassador, stated that he anticipated the conflict to conclude by the end of the year, which is well beyond the timeline for the Gaza City onslaught.
According to health officials, approximately 63,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza over the past 23 months, most of them civilians. After Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 captives, Israel launched an attack on Gaza.
How will ending pauses for aid convoys change food access in Gaza City?
Without the “tactical pauses” previously allowed by Israel’s
military, humanitarian convoys will no longer have guaranteed safe time windows
to enter Gaza City, significantly limiting the delivery of vital food and
medicine.
Aid organizations will face major operational disruptions, with fewer or no convoys able to reach distribution points amid ongoing hostilities and military restrictions.
The limited ability to deliver aid will increase acute food shortages for about one million residents remaining in Gaza City, many of whom already face starvation and severe malnutrition.
Hospitals and bakeries in Gaza City will suffer critical shortages of nutritional supplies, exacerbating health risks for vulnerable populations including children and the elderly.