Israel Calls Gaza City Combat Zone, Escalates Offensive After Hostage Remains Found

Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday, launching the “initial stages” of a new offensive that has drawn international condemnation. The announcement came as the military confirmed the recovery of the remains of two hostages, even as aid groups and a local church said they would not abandon the displaced civilians who depend on them.

The move threatens to further block food and aid supplies from reaching hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City, already suffering famine conditions amid weeks of intensifying strikes.

Fighting Resumes, Aid Access Cut Off

The Israeli military announced the suspension of daily humanitarian pauses — which had allowed food and aid supplies to enter between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. — marking the latest escalation in the conflict. Strikes have already intensified in key neighborhoods on the city’s outskirts, while tens of thousands of reservists have been called up.

“We will intensify our strikes until we bring back all the kidnapped hostages and dismantle Hamas,” Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said.

Adraee has for days urged civilians in Gaza City to evacuate south, calling the move “inevitable,” even as aid groups say fleeing is nearly impossible due to costs, repeated displacement, and lack of safety.

Civilians and Churches Refuse to Leave

Despite evacuation calls, many Palestinians in Gaza City are choosing to stay. The United Nations reported that 23,000 people had fled south in the past week, but tens of thousands remain.

The Holy Family Church in Gaza City, sheltering around 440 people, said it would remain open and that clergy would continue assisting the displaced.

“When we feel danger, people get closer to the walls or whatever, it’s more protected,” said Farid Jubran, noting the church has limited means of defense.

The UN humanitarian agency and NGOs also said they would remain on the ground to provide assistance.

Gaza Health Ministry says more than 63,000 Palestinians killed as Israel-Hamas war drags on, reports AP. pic.twitter.com/lQP5oI2MCw

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 29, 2025

Aid Groups Say They Weren’t Notified

Israel introduced “tactical pauses” last month under global pressure over Gaza’s worsening humanitarian conditions. But on Friday, aid organizations said they were not informed in advance that these pauses would be suspended.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, which coordinates aid operations in Gaza, confirmed it had received no notice.

The United Nations warned that an expanded assault could cripple Gaza’s health system, with half of its hospital bed capacity at risk. “We cannot provide health services to 2 million people besieged in the south,” said Zaher al-Wahidi, spokesperson for Gaza’s Health Ministry, calling mass evacuation an environmental and health catastrophe.

Famine Declared in Gaza City

The suspension comes a week after the world’s leading food security authority confirmed that Gaza City is gripped by famine, following months of warnings. Residents, meanwhile, say strikes never truly paused, even during previous humanitarian breaks.

“The massacres never stopped, even during the humanitarian pauses,” said Mohamed Aboul Hadi in a text message from Gaza City.

Remains of Hostages Recovered

Israel also announced the recovery of the remains of two hostages. Among them was Ilan Weiss, 55, who was killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Be’eri. Weiss disappeared after rushing to a weapons storehouse to fend off militants. His wife and daughter were taken hostage that day but later released after 50 days.

“The campaign to return the hostages continues continuously. We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home — both the living and the dead,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

For hostage families, the return of remains provides a measure of closure but also underscores the ongoing bloodshed and the fate of those still held in Gaza.