The Israeli military said it will close the last remaining route for residents of southern Gaza to access the north, as it presses its offensive on Gaza City today.
"Al-Rashid Street will be closed to traffic from the southern sector area at 12.00 (9am Irish time)," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.
"Movement southward will be allowed for those who were unable to evacuate Gaza City. At this stage, the (Israeli military) permits free movement southward without inspection."
Meanwhile, Israel's government has confirmed the appointment of Maj Gen David Zini as head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, whose selection sparked anger from families of Gaza hostages.
"The government has unanimously approved the appointment of Maj Gen David Zini as head of the Shin Bet for a term of five years," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
The retired general has reportedly opposed hostage release negotiations and described Israel's conflict with Palestinian militants as "an eternal war", remarks that provoked anger among relatives of captives.
A member of the far-right Religious Zionist movement, Mr Zini has also drawn scrutiny for what critics call his "messianic" outlook - a label he himself embraced in a June speech.
The term is linked to the settler movement who see the occupied West Bank and Gaza as belonging to Israel.
His appointment follows Mr Netanyahu's dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, after a lengthy battle with his attorney general.
Under Mr Bar's tenure, the Shin Bet opened an investigation into alleged Qatari payments to Mr Netanyahu's aides in a case dubbed "Qatargate", which Israeli media said led to his sacking.
Defending his new pick, Mr Netanyahu said that "the reality after October 7 requires a new Shin Bet chief coming from outside the organisation" - a reference to the intelligence failure that preceded the unprecedented Hamas-led assault on southern Israel in 2023, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Mr Zini, a career officer who has held senior command positions in the Israeli army, has no prior experience inside the Shin Bet.
His confirmation came after both the attorney general and a professional panel that advises on senior civil service appointments greenlit the nomination. He will formally take office on 5 October.
Yemen's Houthis say they will target US oil firms with sanctions
Elsewhere, Yemen's Houthis will target US oil majors including Exxon Mobil and Chevron with sanctions, a body affiliated with the Iran-backed militia has said.
The Sanaa-based Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Center (HOCC), a body set up last year to liaise between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, sanctioned 13 US companies, nine executives and two vessels, HOCC said.
The sanctions are in retaliation for US sanctions imposedon the Houthis this year despite a truce agreement with the Trump administration in which the Yemeni group agreed to stop attacking US-linked ships in the Red Sea and the wider Gulf of Aden, HOCC said.
"It remains unclear whether these sanctions signal that the Houthis will begin targeting vessels linked to the sanctioned organisations, companies, and individuals - a move that wouldrisk violating the ceasefire agreement with the Trump administration, facilitated by Oman," independent Middle East analyst Mohammed Albasha said in a LinkedIn post.
The Houthis since 2023 have launched numerous assaults onvessels in the Red Sea that they deem to be linked with Israelin what they say is solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza.
That campaign has had little effect on vital oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is located between Oman and Iran and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
The Houthis have occasionally attacked ships in the Gulf of Aden, which flows into the Arabian Sea.
This week, a Houthi-style attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden injured two crew and left the vessel ablaze and adrift. The rebels have not claimed responsibility.
