The special localized ceasefires will still apply to the al-Muwasi area and certain zones in central and southern Gaza.
The IDF invasion of Gaza City could finally be on the way after weeks of back and forth on the issue.
On Friday morning, at 11:30 a.m., the IDF said that as of 10:00 a.m. earlier in the morning, Gaza City had become defined as a full-fledged war zone.
According to the IDF, the special protection it has been offering to humanitarian NGOs for the last month, since Israel greatly increased the flow of humanitarian aid to reduce the risk of Gazan food insecurity, no longer applies to Gaza City.
The special localized ceasefires will still apply to the al-Muwasi area and certain zones in central and southern Gaza, but the lifting of that protection for Gaza City could be the sign that the invasion is more imminent.
For several days, the IDF has sent repeated messages to Gaza City residents to try to get them to evacuate, with only limited success to date.
Smoke rises from Gaza following an explosion, as seen from Israel, May 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
This latest move could be a significant escalation on the way to the actual invasion.
Intensified campaign across Gaza
The IDF has intensified its ground campaign across the Gaza Strip, striking dozens of terror-related targets in recent days, the military said Thursday. Units under Southern Command have broadened their efforts, targeting terrorist infrastructure and operatives across the southern and northern sectors.
In southern Gaza, IDF troops eliminated several Hamas gunmen and dismantled key operational sites. The 188th Armored Brigade’s combat team advanced in Khan Yunis, working to assert control over the Magen Oz axis, a strategic corridor linking the eastern and western parts of the city. During the operation, several buildings used by Hamas as command posts were destroyed.
Last week, the military confirmed it had struck and killed Mahmoud al-Aswad, who served as Hamas’s General Security Apparatus leader in the Gaza Strip.
Aswad operated as the terrorist organization’s general security leader for Western Gaza, with the military describing him as a “significant source of knowledge” for Hamas.
Meanwhile, in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers killed a number of Hamas terrorists who advanced towards the troops in Khan Yunis. The terrorists were killed with the assistance of the IAF.
This is a developing story.