Israel has officially declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone,” removing it from the limited tactical ceasefire arrangement that had allowed humanitarian pauses in military operations. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a statement by its Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee, announced that the city would no longer be covered under the daily 10 am to 8 pm ceasefire window, citing updated security assessments and directives from political leadership. While Israel pledged to maintain humanitarian support elsewhere in Gaza, the decision signals the beginning of intensified ground manoeuvres and air strikes around Gaza City, which Israeli officials have described as the last stronghold of Hamas.

Over the past week, Israeli air raids and artillery fire have escalated in and around Gaza City, accompanied by the deployment of tanks and armoured vehicles at its outskirts, suggesting preparations for a large-scale incursion into the densely populated urban centre. Gaza City was previously one of three designated areas where humanitarian aid was allowed to pass during limited ceasefire hours, but the updated decision removes that exemption, further tightening the siege on the city. The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have expressed alarm, with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warning that nearly one million civilians could face forced displacement and even greater suffering. Reports indicate that more than 80 percent of Gaza is now either classified as a military zone or under evacuation orders.

The humanitarian toll continues to rise sharply. According to Gaza health authorities cited by Al Jazeera, at least 41 Palestinians, including six aid seekers, were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday alone. Victims included two people in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood and a child in Khan Younis. Since the outbreak of war in October 2023, more than 62,966 Palestinians have been killed and over 159,000 injured, with thousands more feared trapped under rubble amid relentless bombardment. Despite growing international concern, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the campaign while mobilising tens of thousands of reservists, even as negotiations for a broader ceasefire agreement remain underway.