The Israeli military declared Gaza City “a dangerous combat zone” on Friday, as it prepared to conquer the Palestinian territory’s largest city after almost two years of war.
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“Starting today (Friday), at 10.00am, the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone,” the military said in a statement, referring to daily pauses in certain areas aimed at facilitating aid distribution.
The military did not call for the population to evacuate immediately, but the army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday that the city’s evacuation was “inevitable”.
Israel has said in the past that Gaza City is 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.
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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.