The Israeli military announced on Sunday a daily pause of its operations in parts of Gaza and the establishment of new aid corridors, following months of international pressure over a worsening hunger crisis in the Palestinian enclave, reports Reuters.
Daily Pause and New Aid Corridors
The military stated it will cease activity in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice. These are areas where it had not renewed ground operations since March. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) emphasized that this “local tactical pause of military activity” is meant to allow for humanitarian aid to be delivered safely to the population.
In addition, designated secure routes for aid convoys delivering food and medicine will be in place permanently from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Egyptian state-affiliated media reported that aid has already begun moving toward Gaza from Egypt, and Israel has also resumed humanitarian aid airdrops.
Escalating Hunger Crisis and International Pressure
The announcement comes after the U.N. said humanitarian pauses were necessary to “scale up humanitarian assistance” and accused Israel of not providing enough route alternatives for its convoys, which has hindered aid access. The international community has grown increasingly alarmed over the humanitarian crisis, especially as Israel and the U.S. reportedly abandoned ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
Aid organizations have warned of mass hunger among Gaza’s 2.2 million people. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 127 people have died from malnutrition since the start of the war, including 85 children. Israel denies these claims, stating there is no starvation in Gaza and that the aid restrictions were meant to pressure Hamas into releasing dozens of hostages.
The war began on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel’s offensive against Hamas has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
