{"id":2267,"date":"2025-08-30T07:55:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T07:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2267"},"modified":"2025-08-30T07:55:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T07:55:53","slug":"israel-declares-gaza-city-combat-zone-launches-initial-expanded-offensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=2267","title":{"rendered":"Israel Declares Gaza City &#8216;Combat Zone,&#8217; Launches Initial Expanded Offensive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at <strong>Israel<\/strong>\u2019s expanded offensive in <strong>Gaza City<\/strong>, the removal of <strong>Thai<\/strong> Prime Minister <strong>Paetongtarn Shinawatra<\/strong>, and <strong>European<\/strong> military support for <strong>Ukraine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>\u2018Dangerous Combat Zone\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Israel <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mideast-wars-gaza-08-29-25-da2b9fa41fc50b922b826343f7ce49ab?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire%20_29%20Aug_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">launched<\/a> the \u201cinitial stages\u201d of its planned expanded offensive into Gaza City on Friday, declaring the heavily populated area a \u201cdangerous combat zone.\u201d Foreign leaders and rights activists have urged Israel not to proceed with its Gaza City operation, citing concerns about the detrimental impact that it will likely have on the region\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/08\/gaza-hunger-crisis-explained-ghf-israel-palestine-hamas\/\">dire humanitarian crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at <strong>Israel<\/strong>\u2019s expanded offensive in <strong>Gaza City<\/strong>, the removal of <strong>Thai<\/strong> Prime Minister <strong>Paetongtarn Shinawatra<\/strong>, and <strong>European<\/strong> military support for <strong>Ukraine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/world-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"world_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief newsletter-shortcode-world_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-world_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-world_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"World Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-world_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-world_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"world_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>\u2018Dangerous Combat Zone\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Israel <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mideast-wars-gaza-08-29-25-da2b9fa41fc50b922b826343f7ce49ab?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire%20_29%20Aug_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">launched<\/a> the \u201cinitial stages\u201d of its planned expanded offensive into Gaza City on Friday, declaring the heavily populated area a \u201cdangerous combat zone.\u201d Foreign leaders and rights activists have urged Israel not to proceed with its Gaza City operation, citing concerns about the detrimental impact that it will likely have on the region\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/08\/gaza-hunger-crisis-explained-ghf-israel-palestine-hamas\/\">dire humanitarian crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that such an offensive is vital to dismantling Hamas\u2019s last major stronghold. According to senior Israeli officials, a network of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/29\/world\/middleeast\/israel-gaza-city-combat-zone.html\">Hamas-used tunnels<\/a> remains functioning throughout Gaza City. \u201cWe will intensify our strikes until we bring back all the kidnapped hostages and dismantle Hamas,\u201d Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Friday. Ahead of the offensive, Israel\u2019s military called up an additional <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/20\/israel-reservists-gaza-city-offensive-west-bank-e1-settlement\/\">60,000 reservists<\/a> on top of extending the active duties of 20,000 others.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Friday, Israel suspended its \u201ctactical pauses\u201d on carrying out military operations in Gaza City during the daytime. These were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/israels-military-says-airdrops-aid-will-begin-gaza-hunger-grows-rcna221296\">first imposed<\/a> last month to allow food and aid deliveries to enter the area at the urging of the United Nations and rights groups. The world\u2019s leading hunger monitor last Friday <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/22\/famine-gaza-city-ipc-report-israel-hamas-war\/\">officially declared<\/a> famine in Gaza City and its surrounding areas, and experts now warn that renewed fighting will only make matters worse.<\/p>\n<p>More than half of Gaza\u2019s 2 million residents live in Gaza City. Adraee on Wednesday issued a statement saying that evacuating the city was \u201cinevitable.\u201d He claimed that there were \u201cvast empty areas\u201d in the southern Gaza Strip where displaced Gaza City residents could go, adding that families who relocated there would be given abundant humanitarian aid. In the past week, around 23,000 people have evacuated the city, the United Nations reported on Thursday. Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/world\/gaza-health-ministry-says-more-than-63000-palestinians-killed-as-israel-hamas-war-drags-on\">surpassed<\/a> 63,000 people on Friday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis will have a horrific impact on people already exhausted, already malnourished, already bereaved and displaced, and deprived of basics needed for their bare survival,\u201d U.N. spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/press.un.org\/en\/2025\/db250819.doc.htm\">St\u00e9phane Dujarric<\/a> said last week of the planned expanded Israeli military campaign in Gaza City. \u201cForcing hundreds of thousands to move south is a recipe for further disaster and could amount to forcible transfer,\u201d which is considered a crime against humanity under international law.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu is facing <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/04\/30\/israeli-backlash-war-gaza-hostages\/\">growing pressure<\/a> within Israel and from <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/22\/israel-gaza-palestinians-humanitarian-aid-killings-trump-marcos-trade-tariffs\/\">foreign leaders<\/a> to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal. Hamas <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/19\/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-deal-hostage-humanitarian-aid\/\">accepted<\/a> an Arab-proposed framework last week calling for a 60-day truce and the release of some Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. But Netanyahu remains opposed to the offer, instead calling for the release of all hostages and an end to the war \u201con conditions that are acceptable for Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home\u2014both the living and the dead,\u201d Netanyahu said. Nearly 50 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to still be alive. On Friday, Israeli forces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/29\/world\/middleeast\/israel-hostages-remains-recovered.html\">recovered<\/a> the bodies of two killed captives held in Gaza City: Ilan Weiss, who was killed during Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and another unnamed individual.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Today\u2019s Most Read<\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>What We\u2019re Following<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Ethics violation ruling. <\/strong>Thailand\u2019s Constitutional Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/28\/world\/asia\/thailand-paetongtarn-shinawatra-verdict.html\">removed<\/a> Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday after ruling in a 6-3 vote that she violated ethics rules during a phone call in June with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The ruling delivers a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/thai-prime-minister-removed-by-court-triggering-power-scramble-2025-08-29\/\">devastating blow<\/a> to the Shinawatra political dynasty, which has held power for more than two decades, and triggers the process to determine the country\u2019s next prime minister.<\/p>\n<p>June\u2019s infamous call was made at the height of Thai-Cambodian tensions, when a deadly border dispute sparked <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/24\/thailand-cambodia-fighting-f16-border-clashes-preah-vihear\/\">rare clashes<\/a> between the two neighbors. In an audio recording of the call leaked by Hun Sen, Paetongtarn can be heard calling the Cambodian official \u201cuncle\u201d and referring to a Thai army general as an \u201copponent.\u201d Paetongtarn maintains that her <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/07\/01\/thailand-suspends-paetongtarn-shinawatra-leaked-phone-call-hun-sen-cambodia\/\">deferential tone<\/a> was a negotiating tactic, but critics have suggested that her words risked Bangkok\u2019s national security.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has overseen Paetongtarn\u2019s responsibilities since she had her duties suspended in early July. Phumtham will hold office until the parliament selects a new prime minister. Although Paetongtarn\u2019s Pheu Thai Party still leads the governing coalition, which has a slim majority in the parliament, Friday\u2019s ruling could <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/thailand-politics-prime-minister-dismissed-7720be8eff0b9327fda88aa1285d86f7?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire%20_29%20Aug_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">further weaken<\/a> its influence, meaning Pheu Thai\u2019s chosen candidate may not be guaranteed. To avoid this, the prime minister\u2019s cabinet could choose to dissolve the parliament and call for new elections. No vote has been scheduled thus far.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Backing Kyiv. <\/strong>European defense ministers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/broad-support-eu-military-training-ukraine-after-truce-kallas-says-2025-08-29\/\">convened<\/a> in Copenhagen on Friday to pledge their continued support for Ukraine, one day after Russian forces launched a deadly attack on Kyiv that killed at least 23 people and damaged a diplomatic compound. In addition to discussing European troop deployments, expanded military trainings, and the freezing of Moscow\u2019s assets, officials debated what security guarantees could look like in a future peace deal.<\/p>\n<p>Among the options under consideration, European leaders are weighing the creation of a 40-kilometer (or roughly 25-mile) buffer zone between the Russian and Ukrainian front lines, <em>Politico<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/08\/28\/europe-buffer-zone-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-00534483\">reported<\/a>. A coalition of 30 countries\u2014including Australia, European nations, and Japan\u2014have also <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/europe-ukraine-defense-ca215008a9b7120399dffb1cfc48bd08\">signaled their support<\/a> for the creation of a so-called reassurance force of European troops to act as peacekeepers, though the United States is demanding that Europe carry the lion\u2019s share of the burden, European Union foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said.<\/p>\n<p>Where the White House has decided to engage, though, is in military sales. On Thursday, the U.S. State Department <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ukraine-us-weapons-sale-trump-russia-74e01123c0067d5fc160141e0cabf207?user_email=6b04284e4d00370f16d3dac0a626e01bf24d86e4d6995646867da6aa680488d0&amp;utm_medium=Morning_Wire&amp;utm_source=Sailthru_AP&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire%20_29%20Aug_2025&amp;utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribers\">approved<\/a> a $825 million arms sale to Kyiv that will include extended-range missiles and related defensive equipment. Money for the purchase will come from NATO allies Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway as well as from U.S. foreign military financing, according to the State Department.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Growing list of grievances. <\/strong>Thousands of people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/29\/world\/asia\/indonesia-protests-inflation.html\">protested<\/a> across Indonesia on Friday after a police vehicle hit and killed a civilian. The crash took place near the site of violent clashes outside Indonesia\u2019s parliament building in the capital of Jakarta the day before, where demonstrators were voicing anger over lawmakers\u2019 increased monthly housing allowances at a time when labor unions are demanding higher wages. Thursday\u2019s incident has since added calls for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/police-killing-sparks-indonesia-unrest-first-major-test-prabowo-presidency-2025-08-29\/\">police reform<\/a> to protesters\u2019 mix of grievances.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jakarta police chief Asep Edi Suheri, seven police officers have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/895845db-a786-4e1c-9fd5-ed194ef833af\">arrested<\/a> in connection with the death. But experts warn that this may not be enough to quell the demonstrations, some of which turned violent on Friday, as protesters also demand the police chief\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officers,\u201d Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-08-29\/more-indonesia-protests-planned-after-one-killed-in-police-clash\">said<\/a> on Friday. However, the president\u2014in office for less than a year\u2014also urged Indonesians to \u201cremain vigilant\u201d and orderly. \u201cIn a situation like this, I urge the public to remain calm and to have confidence in the government that I lead,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>What in the World?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In an effort to further diversify its trade partners due to U.S. tariffs, South American trade bloc Mercosur said on Monday that it would reopen free trade negotiations with which country?<\/p>\n<p>A. Mexico<br \/>B. Canada<br \/>C. Colombia<br \/>D. Chile<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>Odds and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A house listing on an Argentine real estate website may have uncovered a stolen work of art. On Monday, Dutch newspaper <em>Algemeen Dagblad <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ad.nl\/binnenland\/roofkunst-uit-amsterdam-ontdekt-in-huis-dochter-oud-nazi-ik-weet-niet-welk-schilderij-je-bedoelt~a1e944fa\/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dutchnews.nl%2F&amp;amp%3Bcb=1d3a0ac8-dc6d-4ec1-b6fc-9893b93de281&amp;amp%3Bauth_rd=1&amp;cb=69c85c7d-1d06-458a-9997-5d9e79350751&amp;auth_rd=1\">traced<\/a> an interior photo of a home in an Argentine costal town to Italian painter Giuseppe Ghislandi\u2019s \u201cPortrait of a Lady,\u201d which Nazis seized from a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam in the 1940s. The house listing was posted by one of the daughters of <a href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/international\/2025-08-27\/a-house-sale-and-a-slip-up-how-a-painting-looted-by-the-nazis-was-located-in-argentina.html\">Friedrich Kadgien<\/a>, a financial advisor to Adolf Hitler who fled to Buenos Aires after World War II. Kadgien\u2019s daughters reportedly refused the <em>AD<\/em>\u2019s repeated requests for an interview.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3><strong>And the Answer Is\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>B. Canada<\/p>\n<p>A group of Brazilian business leaders will travel to Canada in September to resume discussions, FP\u2019s Catherine Osborn <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/29\/amazon-rainforest-summit-lula-petro-deforestation-oil-acto-fund\/\">reports<\/a> in Latin America Brief.<\/p>\n<p>To take the rest of FP\u2019s weekly international news quiz, <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/29\/news-quiz-south-korea-president-trump-australia-iran-spy-india-tariff\/\">click here<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/alerts\/\">sign up<\/a> to be alerted when a new one is published.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/29\/israel-expanded-operation-gaza-city-famine-netanyahu-hostages\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at Israel\u2019s expanded offensive in Gaza City, the removal of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and European military support for Ukraine. \u2018Dangerous Combat Zone\u2019 Israel launched the \u201cinitial stages\u201d of its planned expanded offensive into Gaza City on Friday, declaring the heavily populated area a \u201cdangerous combat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2267","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}