Israel Declares Gaza City Combat Zone; Gaza Death Toll Tops 63,000/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel declared Gaza City a combat zone Friday, marking the start of its offensive despite global condemnation. The death toll surpassed 63,000, with aid groups refusing to leave civilians behind. Israel also announced the recovery of two hostages’ remains.
Gaza Combat Zone Quick Looks
- Israel declares Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone”
- Gaza Health Ministry: 63,025 killed since war began
- 59 new deaths reported in past 24 hours
- Five more people, including children, died of malnutrition
- Israel suspends “tactical pauses,” resumes full-scale strikes
- UN warns of collapse of hospital system in Gaza
- 23,000 evacuated last week, but many refuse to flee
- Holy Family Church shelters 440 civilians who remain in place
- Aid groups say they received no advance warning
- Israel recovers remains of two hostages, including Ilan Weiss
Deep Look: Israel Declares Gaza City Combat Zone, Death Toll Tops 63,000
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — August 29, 2025 — Israel on Friday declared Gaza’s largest city a “dangerous combat zone,” signaling the beginning of what officials describe as the “initial stages” of a major military offensive. The move came as Gaza’s death toll surpassed 63,000, fueling international condemnation and heightening fears of a humanitarian collapse.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported 63,025 deaths since the war began nearly two years ago, with 59 new fatalities in the past 24 hours. At least 322 people, including 121 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition since the conflict started.
Escalation After Weeks of Strikes
The Israeli military suspended previously announced “tactical pauses” and resumed strikes across Gaza City, targeting neighborhoods in Shejaia, Zeitoun, and Sabra.
“We will intensify our strikes until we bring back all the kidnapped hostages and dismantle Hamas,” Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said.
Adraee has urged Palestinians to flee south, calling evacuation “inevitable.” The UN estimates 23,000 people left Gaza City last week, but many residents remain, exhausted after repeated displacements and doubtful of safety elsewhere.
Aid Groups and Churches Refuse to Leave
Despite mounting danger, humanitarian groups and religious institutions vowed to remain in Gaza City.
- The Holy Family Church confirmed it would continue sheltering 440 displaced people alongside clergy members.
- Aid organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, said they received no prior notice that Israel would suspend humanitarian pauses.
- The UN humanitarian agency warned that Gaza could lose half of its hospital capacity during the offensive, calling it a looming “catastrophe.”
“We cannot provide health services to 2 million people besieged in the south,” Gaza health ministry spokesperson Zaher al-Wahidi said.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The offensive comes one week after global food security experts formally declared famine conditions in Gaza City, following months of warnings. Residents described worsening hunger, limited aid deliveries, and unrelenting bombardment.
“The massacres never stopped, even during the humanitarian pauses,” resident Mohamed Aboul Hadi told reporters.
Hostage Remains Recovered
Amid the escalation, Israel announced that its military recovered the remains of two hostages, including 55-year-old Ilan Weiss, who was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Kibbutz Be’eri.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would not rest until all hostages are returned:
“We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home — both the living and the dead.”
Of the 251 hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 attack, nearly 50 remain in Gaza, including around 20 believed to be alive. Families of hostages continue to demand a ceasefire deal, urging leaders to negotiate until “every last hostage comes home.”
Global Condemnation and Next Steps
UN agencies and humanitarian groups condemned Israel’s declaration, warning of devastating consequences for the hundreds of thousands still sheltering in Gaza City.
Israel maintains that Gaza City remains a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels still in use. Netanyahu insists that dismantling Hamas’ presence there is essential to preventing another Oct. 7-style assault.
As plumes of smoke rose over Gaza and explosions echoed into southern Israel, the city’s civilians braced for yet another phase of a war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives — with no end in sight.
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