Israel to halt fighting in 3 Gaza zones as outrage over food crisis in region grows
According to the military, operations will be paused from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm local time in these areas, starting Sunday and continuing until further notice.
While the military claims it is not actively operating in these zones, recent weeks have seen strikes and clashes there.
The Associated Press report added that the Israeli military also plans to set up secure routes to help aid agencies deliver food and supplies across Gaza.
The decision to pause fighting in certain areas follows months of warnings from experts about looming famine, worsened by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in the past few weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, while 127 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, since the start of the war, which began nearly two years ago.
On Wednesday, more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the enclave.
The military also said Saturday that it had connected a power line to a desalination plant, expected to supply daily water needs for about 900,000 Gazans
Israel announces return of Gaza aid airdrops amid rising pressure
International criticism over Gaza's humanitarian crisis has intensified in recent weeks – even from Israel's close allies – following the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians attempting to access food distribution points.
In response, the Israeli military announced on Saturday that it would resume airdrops of aid into Gaza to address the deepening hunger crisis. According to a military spokesperson cited by Reuters, several steps have been taken to ease the humanitarian situation amid mounting global pressure.
The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food, to be provided by international organisations. Palestinian sources confirmed that airdrops had begun in northern Gaza.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it would also implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas and establish designated corridors to allow the safe movement of UN convoys delivering aid.
While these humanitarian efforts are set to continue, the military said that they would take place alongside ongoing operations targeting Hamas and other militant factions.
The UN has warned that mass hunger has reached Gaza's 2.2 million residents, with food stocks rapidly depleting following an Israeli supply cutoff in March. Although Israel reopened crossings in May, new restrictions remain in place.
Israel, however, maintains that it has allowed sufficient food into Gaza and blames distribution failures on the UN.
'The IDF emphasises that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas,' the military said. "Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organisations.
Therefore, the UN and international organisations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas."
The UN, in a separate statement on Thursday, said 'the humanitarian pauses would allow the scale up of humanitarian assistance' but noted that Israel had not provided adequate alternate routes, hampering the movement of aid convoys.
(With inputs from Associated Press, Reuters)
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