Israeli army shuts 2 main routes in Gaza City, effectively separating north from south

By Fekry Abdeen and Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli army closed two main roads in Gaza City, effectively separating the territory’s north and south, in a move part of Tel Aviv’s plan to fully occupy the city.

Army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on the US social media company X that Netzarim Axis was closed to movement from the south to “gain operational control over the Netzarim Corridor” in northern Gaza.

He said the army also closed Al-Rasheed Street, a coastal road that links the north of the enclave to the south.

The spokesman claimed that the army will allow those who are still in Gaza City to move to the south “without any searches.”

Since August, the Israeli army has been seeking to completely evacuate the entire Gaza City under a plan to gradually reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

Israel has killed over 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to a famine.