Gaza Developments: Israel Shuts Down the Last Passage from South to North

In a move that further deepens Gaza’s isolation and intensifies the ongoing blockade, Israel has decided to close the last remaining route connecting the southern part of the enclave to the north.

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it would shut down al-Rashid Street, the final corridor available for residents of southern Gaza to reach the north, as its offensive on Gaza City continues.

“Al-Rashid Street will be closed to movement from the southern area of the Strip at 12:00 p.m. (09:00 GMT),” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a post on X.

He clarified that “movement southward remains permitted for those who have not yet managed to evacuate Gaza City. At this stage, the Israel Defense Forces allow free movement southward without inspection.”

The closure cuts off a vital artery of movement, raising concerns about worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave. International organizations have warned that the continued closure of passages and crossings could lead to heightened hunger levels and a shortage of medical supplies.

“We Are in Hell”

On Tuesday, 41 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across different areas of Gaza, according to the Civil Defense and medical sources.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal confirmed to AFP that at least 41 people had been killed since midnight in Israeli bombings. Fifteen of them died in multiple strikes on Gaza City, while most of the victims were recovered from the rubble of strikes in the east of the city. Three others were killed in an airstrike on al-Shati refugee camp in the west.

In central Gaza, al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reported receiving 17 dead and 33 injured after Israeli forces targeted gatherings of civilians near a humanitarian aid distribution point. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah also reported 6 dead and several wounded following an airstrike on a house belonging to the al-Baz family.

In the south, Nasser Medical Complex stated that it had received 3 dead and multiple injured after an Israeli strike targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in the al-Mawasi area.

“We are in hell. The bombings never stop. What truce is the world talking about?” said Hassan al-Ghoul, 33, a resident of Gaza City. “There is no food, no water. I have no money to head south, and there are bombings there as well. There is no safe place.”

Adi Saqr, a 20-year-old displaced man now in Deir al-Balah, echoed the same despair: “We fled death in Gaza, but it is here too. There is no safe place.”

The “Trump Plan”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he would brief his cabinet on the details of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan to end the war.

“In Washington, I reached an understanding with President Trump on a framework for the release of all our hostages and for achieving all the war objectives we have set,” Netanyahu said in a video message released by his office.

The war began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,219 people—mostly civilians—and led to the capture of 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s ongoing offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, the vast majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.