Israel declares Gaza’s largest city a combat zone and halts humanitarian pauses

Israel’s military on Friday said it was suspending mid-day pauses allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a “a dangerous combat zone.”

The city was among the places that Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The “tactical pauses” applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering. The suspension came as Israel prepared to widen its offensive in the city, days after it reported strikes in key neighborhoods and called up tens of thousands of reservists.

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 also is 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.

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.

Norwegian Refugee Council, which coordinates a coalition of aid groups active in Gaza, said Israel’s preparation for its large-scale ground offensive had already made deliveries challenging.

“We have faced unprecedented access and movement restrictions,” spokesperson Shaina Low said Friday. “Intensified military operations are going to further hinder our ability respond.”