Gaza City, Gaza - The Israeli military declared Gaza City "a dangerous combat zone" on Friday, as it prepared to conquer the Palestinian territory's largest city after almost two years of all-out assault.

"Starting today (Friday), at 10:00, the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone," the military said in a statement, referring to daily pauses in certain areas supposedly aimed at facilitating aid distribution.

The military did not call for the population to evacuate immediately, but the army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday that the city's evacuation was "inevitable."

The UN estimates that nearly a million people currently live in Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surroundings in the north of the territory.

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AFP photos from the center of the territory on Thursday showed lines of Palestinians fleeing south in vans and cars piled high with mattresses, chairs, and bags, amid widespread accusations that Israel is attempting to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed last week to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to a deal on Israel's terms.

His ministry had previously approved the military's plan to seize the city and authorized the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists.

In its statement on Friday, the military said it "will continue to support humanitarian efforts alongside ongoing maneuvering and offensive operations against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip."

In reality, Israel has been accused by UN experts and aid organizations of engineering mass starvation and famine in Gaza.

On the ground, Gaza's civil defense agency reported 33 people were killed by Israeli forces across the Palestinian territory on Friday.

Israel has killed at least 62,966 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, according to the territory's health ministry, though the true number is believed to be far higher.