Gaza City declared “dangerous combat zone” by ‘Israel’ army

The ‘Israeli’ military announced that Gaza City is now a "dangerous combat zone”, adding that the local tactical pause will not apply to it following a “situational assessment and the directives from the political echelon.”

Read more: Egypt, Qatar accuse ‘Israel’ of obstructing Gaza ceasefire efforts

The announcement comes amid international warnings about the dangers of expanding operations in densely populated areas of Gaza City.

The move comes as the army prepares to take control of the largest city in the Gaza Strip.

A statement by the Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the military has begun preliminary operations around Gaza City and is currently operating with “force” on its outskirts.

قوات جيش الدفاع تواصل القتال في قطاع غزة وتسديد الضربات القوية لحماس والمنظمات الأرهابية تمهيدًا لمراحل الحرب المقبلة.

حماس تحولت من منظمة عسكرية إرهابية إلى منظمة مهزومة تدير حرب العصابات وستهزم ايضا في هذا المجال.

لا ننتظر. بدأنا العمليات التمهيدية والمراحل الاولية… pic.twitter.com/q7f4KfcEFH

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 29, 2025

‘Israel's’ army first announced the temporary pauses in late July to facilitate the safe passage of aid convoys from the UN and other non-governmental organizations in specific areas.

The announcement comes amid increasing international and domestic pressure on ‘Israel’ to end the war.

On Wednesday, the army said that the evacuation of Gaza City's residents was "unavoidable" after the ‘Israeli’ government approved a plan to seize control of the city earlier in August.

Gaza's Civil Defense said Friday that 33 people have been killed in the strip since dawn.