Gaza City Isolated

The Israeli military said yesterday its forces had completed encircling Gaza City after an overnight barrage of airstrikes, cutting off the populous city center from the rest of the Gaza Strip and effectively dividing the enclave into north and south regions (see map). The development comes ahead of Israel's imminent ground incursion as around 240 hostages remain in Hamas' captivity. Israel believes much of Hamas' infrastructure is located in the north.

Israeli troops reportedly killed a Hamas commander and captured a Hamas compound, which included observation posts and training areas, after striking 450 aerial targets in Gaza since Sunday night, according to the Israeli military's Telegram channel (see here). The Israeli military also said it paused airstrikes for four hours to allow Palestinians to evacuate to southern Gaza through a one-way corridor.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed calls for a cease-fire yesterday as the death toll rose to over 10,000 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis, per reports from officials on each side. The UN also reported more than 100 healthcare facilities in Gaza have been hit by airstrikes as of Nov. 4.