Gaza aid centers close for a day as Israel declares roads to sites 'combat zones'

Roads leading to Gaza’s aid distribution centers in will be considered “combat zones,” the Israeli military warned.

Roads leading to Gaza’s aid distribution centers will be considered “combat zones” Wednesday, the Israeli military warned shortly after the controversial organization tasked with running the sites announced they would close for the day.

Palestinians would be “prohibited” from entering the centers and traveling on the roads leading to them throughout Wednesday, Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a post on X on Tuesday, adding that they would be considered “combat zones.”

His comments came after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — the Israel and U.S.-backed organization overseeing aid distribution in Gaza — said that all distribution centers in the enclave would be closed for “update, organization and efficiency improvement work.”

The closures were announced following a string of deadly incidents which saw the Israeli military accused of firing at Palestinians as they sought to collect aid. Health officials in the enclave said dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured.

With electricity and internet access limited, it is unclear how many Palestinians will have received the message about both the closures and the fact they could be targeted if they go near the centers after several attacks near the aid sites in recent days.