JERUSALEM — Israel plans to soon halt or slow humanitarian aid to parts of northern Gaza as it intensifies its military offensive against Hamas. This announcement came on Saturday, a day after Gaza City was designated a combat zone. The decision is expected to draw further international condemnation as concerns rise over the worsening conditions for both Palestinians and the remaining hostages in Gaza after nearly 23 months of conflict.

An official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, stated that Israel will cease airdrops over Gaza City in the coming days and will decrease the number of aid trucks entering the northern region. This move is part of Israel's preparations to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents southward. On Friday, Israel ended recently implemented daytime pauses in fighting that had allowed for aid deliveries, labeling Gaza City a Hamas stronghold and claiming that a tunnel network remains operational despite previous military operations.

The United Nations and other organizations have indicated that the recent pauses and airdrops have not met the urgent need for approximately 600 trucks of aid daily in Gaza. Video footage captured overnight showed multiple explosions across the region. Israel's military has escalated strikes on the outskirts of Gaza City, where global food security experts have recently declared a famine.

As of Saturday, there had been no airdrops for several days, marking a significant change from the almost daily deliveries seen in recent weeks. The Israeli army did not respond to inquiries regarding the future of aid deliveries or how it plans to assist the over 2 million people in Gaza during this significant population shift.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned that the planned evacuation could lead to a massive population movement that the Gaza Strip cannot accommodate. "Such an evacuation would trigger a massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb, given the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the extreme shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical care," she stated. She emphasized that a mass evacuation of Gaza City cannot be conducted safely or with dignity.

In recent days, hundreds of residents have begun to leave Gaza City, loading their remaining belongings onto pickup trucks or donkey carts. Many have been displaced multiple times. On Saturday, Israeli gunfire reportedly killed four individuals attempting to obtain aid in central Gaza, according to health officials at Al-Awda Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 15 people were killed and at least 206 others injured while seeking aid in the past 24 hours. Additionally, 10 individuals died from starvation and malnutrition, including three children, during the same period. The ministry noted that at least 332 Palestinians have died from malnutrition-related causes since the onset of the war, with 124 of those being children.

The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, claims that at least 63,371 Palestinians have died during the conflict, though it does not specify how many were fighters or civilians. It asserts that around half of the deceased are women and children. While Israel disputes these figures, it has not provided its own.

"There is no food and even water is not available. When it is available, it is not safe to drink," said Amer Zayed, who was waiting for food from a charity kitchen in Deir al-Balah on Friday. He added, "The suffering gets worse when there are more displaced people."

Meanwhile, families of hostages are anxiously awaiting news. On Friday, Israel announced the recovery of the remains of a hostage, including Ilan Weiss. Currently, 48 hostages remain in Gaza from the over 250 taken during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Israel believes that 20 of these hostages are still alive. Their families fear that the ongoing military offensive will increase the danger to their loved ones, prompting them to rally again on Saturday evening to demand a ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.