Israel Begins Gaza City Assault as Famine Worsens Crisis

Israel launches initial assault on Gaza City, halts aid pauses as famine deepens. Thousands face hunger, displacement, and relentless bombardment

Gaza City, August 29, 2025 – The Israeli military has confirmed that it has launched the initial stages of its assault on Gaza City, declaring the territory’s largest urban area a “combat zone”. Daily humanitarian pauses that had allowed limited aid deliveries have now been suspended, worsening conditions for civilians already trapped in a famine-stricken city.

Israeli Army Confirms Start of Offensive

Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that preliminary operations are underway and that forces are striking on the city’s outskirts with “great force.”

The decision follows the end of so-called tactical pauses, which had briefly opened humanitarian corridors for aid agencies. “From today, Gaza City is excluded from ceasefire arrangements as it constitutes a dangerous combat zone,” the Israeli military declared.

Famine Devastates Gaza City

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has already declared famine in northern Gaza. Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, is at the center of this crisis.

According to UNICEF, child malnutrition has surged, with aid workers overwhelmed by the number of families seeking help.

“Famine is absolutely ravaging Gaza City. Parents are in despair because they have run out of options,” said UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram.

Health workers treat malnourished children with high-energy biscuits or therapeutic pastes, but supplies are dangerously low. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that five more people, including two children, died of starvation in the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths from hunger since the war began to 322, including 121 children.

Intensified Strikes on Gaza City

Since early August, Israeli forces have conducted heavy bombardments across Gaza City in preparation for a wider ground assault. More than 1,000 residential buildings have been destroyed in Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence.

Residents describe terrifying conditions:

• “They launched a firebelt attack just 150 meters away. The whole area burned,” said Nihad Madoukh from Sheikh Radwan.
• Displaced resident Ahmed Moqat added: “Debris fell near my head last night. I don’t know where to go anymore.”

Rising Civilian Death Toll

On Friday alone, 41 Palestinians were killed, including six aid seekers. Medical sources reported that:

• Three were shot dead near the Netzarim Corridor.
• Airstrikes on the al-Mawasi ‘safe zone’ killed at least five displaced civilians in tents.

A grandfather caring for his orphaned grandchildren said:

“We were sleeping when the bombing struck. We carried the wounded ourselves to the hospital. Have mercy on the children.”

Humanitarian Disaster Deepens

Health officials say Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza has killed over 62,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded more than 157,600. Aid organizations warn the latest assault could force over one million people into shrinking displacement zones in southern Gaza, creating an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.

Analysis

The decision to label Gaza City a combat zone and block humanitarian aid risks accelerating famine and mass displacement. With food, medicine, and safe shelters scarce, the crisis is spiraling into one of the worst urban humanitarian disasters in modern times, with consequences that may shape regional security for years.