Israel Expands Offensive, Reduces Gaza City Relief Access/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel plans to scale back humanitarian aid to northern Gaza as it intensifies military operations against Hamas. The move comes amid growing famine and massive displacement in Gaza City, declared a combat zone by Israel. Aid groups and the U.N. warn the evacuation could worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Quick Looks
- Israel to slow or halt aid to northern Gaza.
- Gaza City declared a combat zone amid renewed offensive.
- Airdrops and aid trucks expected to decrease imminently.
- Over 63,000 Palestinians reported killed since war began.
- UN reports famine conditions affecting over 500,000 people.
- Ten recent starvation deaths reported, including three children.
- Aid groups say evacuation will worsen humanitarian disaster.
- 23,000 people fled Gaza City just this past week.
Deep Look
Israel to Limit Northern Gaza Aid as Gaza City Declared Combat Zone
JERUSALEM — Israel will soon significantly reduce or completely halt humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, particularly Gaza City, as it intensifies its military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining strongholds. The announcement has triggered immediate concern from aid organizations already warning of famine conditions and mass civilian suffering.
According to an Israeli official who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press, the government plans to end humanitarian airdrops over Gaza City and reduce the number of aid trucks entering the northern region. The change comes as Israel prepares for a renewed evacuation effort involving hundreds of thousands of civilians in the area.
Combat Zone Declaration Raises Alarm
Israel formally designated Gaza City as an active combat zone on Friday, citing it as a core Hamas base. Officials allege that a complex network of underground tunnels continues to operate beneath the city, despite nearly two years of military assaults on the region.
Military forces have reportedly increased strikes along the city’s outskirts in recent days, laying the groundwork for the upcoming push. AP video footage from overnight Friday captured large explosions lighting up the skies over Gaza.
Israel’s spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued a public warning urging residents to flee south, calling the evacuation “inevitable” amid escalating combat. But for many civilians trapped in Gaza City, relocation is far from a solution — particularly with southern areas overwhelmed and crumbling from previous displacements.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
The situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly. According to Gaza’s health ministry, 10 people — including three children — died from starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours alone. The figure underscores the worsening famine in Gaza City, already declared by international bodies as facing “catastrophic levels of hunger.”
The U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has labeled the conditions in Gaza City as full-fledged famine, affecting over half a million people across the enclave. Yet, rather than easing access to aid, Israel’s new military stance may further restrict critical food, water, and medical supplies.
Airdrops, which had been occurring almost daily, came to a halt several days ago. No official date has been given for when they will resume, if at all.
Aid Organizations and U.N. Condemn Evacuation Plans
Global aid organizations have issued urgent warnings about the implications of Israel’s proposed evacuation. Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, released a statement saying there is no way to conduct a mass evacuation safely or humanely under the current conditions.
“Such an evacuation would trigger a massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb,” Spoljaric warned. “There’s widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and extreme shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical care.”
The United Nations confirmed that 23,000 people fled Gaza City in the past week alone. But displaced families say they are simply being moved from one danger zone to another.
Civilians Speak of Dire Conditions
Civilians caught in the crossfire continue to face impossible choices. Amer Zayed, a father in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza, described worsening conditions as more people arrive.
“There is no food, and even the water is not available. When it is, it’s unsafe to drink,” Zayed said while waiting in line at a charity-run kitchen. “What worsens the suffering is the constant arrival of more displaced people.”
Many families have now been forced to relocate multiple times. With limited access to transportation, residents pile their few remaining belongings onto donkey carts or makeshift vehicles, heading south without knowing where they’ll end up — or if it will be any safer.
Death Toll Climbs Amid Military Escalation
The war, now nearing its 23rd month, has already claimed more than 63,000 lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. The renewed military campaign comes amid mounting international criticism and legal scrutiny over Israel’s tactics in the densely populated enclave.
While Israeli officials maintain their military actions are essential to neutralize Hamas, aid groups and human rights advocates argue the cost to civilian life is unsustainable.
With no ceasefire in sight and Israel doubling down on military strategies, aid delivery mechanisms are being squeezed at a time when the population needs them most. The Israeli army has not yet commented on how — or if — it plans to continue aid to Palestinians during the next phase of the offensive.
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