Israel has declared a 10-hour daily suspension of military operations in several areas of Gaza to allow for more humanitarian aid to reach the enclave, amid growing global concern over widespread starvation, Reuters reported.
The pause in fighting—from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time—will apply to designated zones including Al Mawasi, Deir Al Balah, and Gaza City. This comes as indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas in Doha have stalled, and international criticism over the humanitarian disaster continues to mount.
In a joint effort to ease the crisis, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped 25 tonnes of food and medical supplies on Sunday—marking their first air delivery in months. However, a Jordanian official stressed that airdrops are “not a substitute” for ground convoys. Palestinian health officials reported that at least 10 people were injured when aid boxes fell during the airdrop.
Starting Sunday, the Israeli military also announced that new aid corridors will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to ensure safer passage for humanitarian convoys. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher vowed to intensify relief efforts. “Our teams on the ground … will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window,” he posted on X.
Despite the declared pause, health workers at Al Awda and Al Aqsa hospitals reported at least 17 killed and 50 wounded by Israeli gunfire while waiting near aid trucks. Israel’s military has yet to respond to those allegations.
The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reported six more deaths from malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 133—87 of them children. Among the most recent victims was five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, who died after three months of hospital care. “Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead,” said her grieving mother, Israa.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Red Crescent said over 100 aid trucks carrying 1,200 metric tonnes of food were en route to southern Gaza. However, inspections at the Kerem Shalom crossing delayed their entry, according to Palestinian officials.
Calls for stronger humanitarian intervention have intensified, with 25 nations—including the UK, France, and Canada—condemning what they called the “drip feeding of aid” and Israel’s restrictions on essentials. France’s Emmanuel Macron has pledged to recognize a Palestinian state by September.
While many in Gaza welcomed the aid announcement, they stressed that temporary pauses are not enough. “We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up,” said Tamer Al Burai, a local businessman.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the continued military campaign, stating, “We will continue to fight, we will continue to act until we achieve all of our war goals—until complete victory.”
Hamas rejected the pause as insufficient, saying that Israeli bombardments had not truly stopped. “What is happening isn’t a humanitarian truce,” said senior Hamas figure Ali Baraka.
