Israel declares Gaza City a ‘combat zone’ and suspends noon ceasefires

Displaced Palestinians fleeing the northern Gaza Strip move with their belongings on a street in Gaza City (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Israel’s military on Friday said it was suspending noon pauses to allow 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 10am to 8pm.

The “tactical pauses” applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three places where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering.

The pivot comes as Israel prepares to broaden its offensive, mobilising tens of thousands of troops to seize Gaza City.

Israel’s military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities.

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 that the besieged strip could lose half of its hospital bed capacity if Israel invades as planned.