Israel on Friday said its military had recovered the bodies of two hostages as it suspended noon pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a “a dangerous combat zone”.
The hostages include an Israeli man who was killed in the October 7 attack that sparked the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the bodies of 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.
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 “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.
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.”
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