The Israeli military declared Gaza City a “high-risk war zone” on August 29, ahead of the planned offensive to gain full control of the largest city in the Palestinian territory after nearly two years of conflict.
Israel is facing intense domestic and international pressure to end the offensive in Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a severe humanitarian crisis.
Nevertheless, the Israeli military is preparing to expand operations and take control of Gaza City. A military spokesperson stated: “We are not waiting.”
“We have launched initial operations and the preliminary stages of the assault on Gaza City, and we are currently operating with significant force in the city’s outskirts,” wrote IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X (formerly Twitter).
According to UN estimates, nearly half a million residents currently live in Gaza City and its surrounding areas.
In a military statement released on Friday, the Israeli army said that Gaza City “is now considered a high-risk war zone,” and that daily pauses in military activity, which were intended to facilitate aid distribution, will no longer apply in this area.
The army did not immediately call on the population to evacuate, though Adraee previously stated this week that evacuation “is inevitable.” Human rights groups in Gaza have warned against the escalation of the military campaign.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that Gaza City would be destroyed if Hamas—the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU—did not cease hostilities according to Israeli conditions. He approved military plans to take control of the city and authorized the call-up of nearly 60,000 reservists.
Spokesperson Adraee said on Friday that the military will intensify strikes until all remaining hostages in Gaza are freed and Hamas is dismantled.
The conflict in Gaza began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Of these 251 hostages, 47 remain in Gaza, and around 20 are believed to still be alive.
Amid warnings of an offensive in Gaza City, the civil defense agency in Gaza reported that 33 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces across the territory on August 29.
Since the start of the Gaza conflict, over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Israeli offensive, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which the UN considers credible.
