On Sunday, the Israeli military announced a temporary halt to military operations in three specific regions of Gaza, shortly after indicating it had taken steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the area.
The Israeli army stated that the ceasefire would occur daily in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City, from 10 AM local time (0700 GMT) until 8 PM (1700 GMT) until further notice.
Additionally, designated safe routes will be available consistently from 6 AM to 11 PM.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced it would implement a “humanitarian pause” starting Sunday morning to allow for the distribution of aid in Gaza.
In a statement shared on social media platform X late Saturday, the ministry noted that this pause would apply to “civil centers and humanitarian corridors” within Gaza.
Despite significant international backlash, Israel has permitted only a minimal amount of aid to enter the coastal territory.
The ministry stated that while “Israel continued to facilitate the entry of aid trucks into Gaza,” the United Nations has “thus far failed to collect and distribute the substantial number of aid trucks stored in designated areas within Gaza.”
Furthermore, the Israeli ministry asserted that the UN would now be tasked with “collecting and distributing large quantities of aid without any further delays or excuses.”
The UN has consistently refuted Israel’s claims that the organization is obstructing food distribution.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq stated on Thursday: “We are not attempting to prevent these individuals, including our staff, from receiving food. They are facing various obstacles, including those imposed by Israeli authorities.”
Haq added that the multi-step approval process required by the Israeli military has been exceedingly burdensome, often leading to substantial delays before the reloaded goods could depart.
On Saturday, the Israeli military reported that it had air-dropped humanitarian aid into Gaza, where many residents are facing the risk of starvation.
The Egyptian news channel Al-Qahera reported on Sunday that aid trucks began moving from Egypt toward Gaza, following increasing international pressure and warnings from relief agencies about the potential for famine in the region.
Earlier, the Israeli army had announced the establishment of “humanitarian corridors” to secure the passage of UN aid convoys to Gaza’s residents and the implementation of a “ceasefire for humanitarian purposes” in densely populated areas.
In a statement on Telegram, the military noted, “Following directives from political leadership, the Israeli Defense Forces recently conducted an air-drop operation for humanitarian aid as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate aid entry into Gaza.” This operation reportedly included seven aid packages containing flour, sugar, and canned foods.