Israel declares Gaza City ‘dangerous combat zone’, as bodies of 2 hostages recovered

Israel on Friday declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone and said it was in the ″initial stages″ of a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation. Israel’s military said it suspended midday pauses in fighting, which had allowed food and aid supplies to enter from 10am to 8pm, while also reporting it had recovered the bodies of two hostages and vowed its military offensive would return more. The shift comes weeks after Israel first announced plans to widen its offensive in Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering and enduring famine. The resumption of around-the-clock fighting is the latest escalation after Israel reported strikes in some of the city’s key neighbourhoods and called up tens of thousands of reservists. “We will intensify our strikes until we bring back all the kidnapped hostages and dismantle Hamas,” Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said. Adraee, has for days urged Palestinians in Gaza City to flee south, calling the evacuation “inevitable”, even as aid groups warn of severe obstacles. Bodies of hostages recovered Israel on Friday said its military had recovered the bodies of two hostages, including an Israeli man who was killed in the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. The bodies of Ilan Weiss of Kibbutz Be’eri and another unnamed hostage were returned to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Weiss, 55, was kidnapped from his home and killed during the cross-border attack by Hamas, the Israeli military said. His wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were also abducted and later released as part of a hostage-prisoner swap deal in November 2023. “The campaign to return the hostages continues continuously. We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home – both the living and the dead,” Netanyahu said. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants almost 22 months ago, roughly 50 remain in Gaza, including 20 that Israel believes to be alive. Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has organised large-scale protests demanding a ceasefire to return the hostages, mourned the losses and said Israeli leaders should prioritise a deal to return both the living and the dead. “We call on the Israeli government to enter negotiations and stay at the table until every last hostage comes home. Time is running out for the hostages. Time is running out for the people of Israel who carry this burden,” it said in a statement. ‘Initial stages’ of Gaza City offensive begin Israel introduced “tactical pauses” in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi last month as it faced global condemnation over the humanitarian conditions in the besieged strip. As it suspended them on Friday in Gaza City, the military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups of the impending declaration ahead of the 11.30am announcement. Israel has in the past called Gaza City a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids. The city is also home to some of the territory’s critical infrastructure and health facilities. The United Nations said on Thursday the besieged strip could lose half of its hospital bed capacity if Israel invades as planned. The suspension of the pause also comes one week after the world’s leading food security authority declared Gaza City was being gripped by famine after months of warnings. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said hunger has been driven by fighting and Israel’s blockade on most aid, and magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production. Norwegian Refugee Council, which coordinates a coalition of aid groups active in Gaza, said Israel’s preparation for its large-scale ground offensive has made deliveries challenging. “We have faced unprecedented access and movement restrictions,” spokesperson Shaina Low said on Friday. “Intensified military operations are going to further hinder our ability to respond.” UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said the looming offensive could further displace 1 million people, including many who were previously displaced. “Any further escalation would deepen suffering and push more people towards catastrophe,” the agency said in a social media post. Some refuse to leave as Gaza City assault begins The United Nations said on Thursday that 23,000 people had evacuated over the past week, but many Palestinians in Gaza City have said they are exhausted after multiple displacements and questioned leaving when there is nowhere safe and any journey is costly. The Holy Family Church of Gaza City said on Friday that the roughly 440 people sheltering there would remain, along with members of the clergy who would assist them. Farid Jubran said the church had left the decision up to the people, even though they had little recourse to insulate themselves from fighting. “When we feel danger, people get closer to the walls or whatever, it’s more protected,” he said, noting the church had few specific defences. The UN’s humanitarian agency said its staff and NGOs also would remain on the ground. The group said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” by the military’s announcement and predicted the offensive would have a “horrific impact on people already exhausted, malnourished, bereaved, displaced, and deprived of basics needed for survival”. Additional reporting by Reuters

Israel declares Gaza City ‘dangerous combat zone’, as bodies of 2 hostages recovered

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The move comes a week after the world’s leading food authority declared Gaza City was in the grips of famine

The move comes a week after the world’s leading food authority declared Gaza City was in the grips of famine