Israel wants to halt aid in northern Gaza as it escalates its offensive in Gaza City

Israel wants to slow down or halt the entry of aid into northern Gaza, an official who spoke on condition of anonymity told press agency, The Associated Press.

It comes as Israel began its expanded military offensive in Gaza City, which was announced earlier this month and drew international condemnation.

On Friday, Israel declared the besieged city a combat zone, and claimed that a network of tunnels used by Hamas still remain, despite several previous large-scale raids on the area throughout its nearly 23-month-long offensive.

According to several media, hospital authorities reported at least 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, including 26 in Gaza City.

As the military escalated its assault on Gaza City over the past week, Israel called on Palestinians to evacuate to the south of the strip, a move the Red Cross warned against.

"A mass evacuation of Gaza City is not only unfeasible but incomprehensible," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Saturday.

"Such an evacuation would trigger a massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb, given the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the extreme shortages of food, water, shelter and medical care," she added.

Israeli security officials appeared to acknowledge the logistical challenges, telling local media that the evacuation of Gaza City is going slower than expected.

Spoljaric demanded all civilians must be protected by international humanitarian law, "whether they leave or stay behind, and must be allowed to return home."

Aid groups have also warned that the largescale evacuation would further worsen the dire humanitarian crisis. Earlier this month the leading authority on food crises confirmed that Gaza City was in famine and that half a million people across the strip were facing catastrophic levels of hunger.

On Thursday, the UN announced 23,000 people had evacuated over the week, many who have been forced to leave their homes more than once. However, many in Gaza City say there is nowhere safe to go.