Israel says body of hostage returned as military begins Gaza City offensive
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Israel has said its military recovered the bodies of two hostages, including an Israeli man killed in the October 7 attack, as it suspended noon pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City.
The Israeli army branded the area “a dangerous combat zone” as it announced it would be suspending the “tactical-local ceasefire” there from 10am on Friday in a post on X.
The shift comes as Israel prepares to mobilise tens of thousands of troops to seize Gaza City, calling it a “a dangerous combat zone”. In the past, the country has said that Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the bodies of 55-year-old Ilan Weiss of Kibbutz Be’eri as well as another unnamed hostage were returned to Israel. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants almost 22 months ago, roughly 50 remain in Gaza including 20 that Israel believes to be alive.
Following the recovery of Weiss’ body, Netanyahu said he would not “rest or be silent” until all the hostages were returned to Israel.
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their great sorrow,” he said. “The campaign to return the kidnapped continues continuously, we will not rest or be silent until we return all our kidnapped people home – the living and the dead alike.”
Gaza City was among the places where Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10am to 8pm. The pauses applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three places where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering.
The city, which is the strip’s largest urban centre and is also is home to some of the territory’s critical infrastructure and health facilities.In the statement, Israel’s military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities.
Humanitarian and international organisations have warned of a huge impact on aid access and medical treatment for Palestinians if Israel pursues its plans to seize the city. On Thursday, the United Nations said 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 that Gaza City was being gripped by famine after months of warnings.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said hunger has been driven by fighting and Israel’s blockade on the majority of aid and magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production.
The IPC analysis concluded hunger, starvation and child malnutrition had surpassed thresholds necessary to declare famine.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, which co-ordinates 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 on Friday. “Intensified military operations are going to further hinder our ability respond.”
