Israel Pauses Some Gaza Military Operations To Let In Aid After International Pressure
Israel is halting daily military operations for 10 hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., in parts of Gaza to allow greater access for humanitarian aid, amid warnings from aid groups of escalating famine in the enclave.
The pause, which will continue until further notice, is intended to allow the U.N. and other aid groups safe passage into population centers where Israeli forces are not operating, including Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City.
The Israeli Air Force also began airdropping food over Gaza on Saturday for the first time in months. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates began their own airdrops Sunday, with more expected in the coming days.
Apart from the aid changes, Israel has also reconnected a power line to make Gaza’s southern desalination plant operational, boosting access to clean water.
The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed Israel’s pause, saying Sunday, “WFP has enough food in or on its way to the region to feed the entire population of 2.1 million people for almost three months.”
CRISIS IN GAZA
The week before, WFP reported that about a third of Gaza’s population had gone multiple days without eating. The World Health Organization reports that of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza this year, 63 occurred in July — including 25 children.
The Associated Press reported on Friday the death of 5-month-old Zainab Abu Halib, who weighed less than 4.4 pounds — two pounds below her birth weight.
The New York Times reported that nurses in several hospitals have fainted from hunger and dehydration, while doctors have resorted to giving newborns water instead of formula.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday denied that there is starvation in Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it “‘starvation’ propaganda initiated by Hamas, which manipulates pictures of children suffering from terminal diseases.”
What the Israeli government is pointing to is that some of the images coming out of Gaza, portrayed as starving children, are actually of children with genetic illnesses not related to the war. However, there are also a number of verified photos and accounts of people and children who have been suffering from hunger and malnutrition. It is incredibly hard to get accurate reporting inside Gaza because Israel will not allow Western journalists to have free access. The accounts from aid groups, however, paint a startling picture.
President Donald Trump broke with Netanyahu’s assessment Monday, saying, “That’s real starvation stuff. I see it. And you can’t fake that.” Meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said the U.S. would get more involved in supplying food to Gaza amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis, but did not provide specifics on how.
Trump noted that Israel “has a lot of responsibility” for limiting aid to the region, in addition to Hamas stealing aid.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The daily 10-hour pause marks the first time Israel has halted military operations in Gaza since March, when it resumed the war and blocked humanitarian deliveries to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
Aid deliveries were partially resumed in May, but with new restrictions.
Israel relied on the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was created to prevent aid from being diverted to Hamas. However, GHF sites have been filled with chaos — hundreds of people have been killed in incidents nearby, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel has criticized the UN for not distributing available aid on the border in recent weeks. The UN replied that the aid was insufficient for Gaza’s needs, and blamed violent conditions for the holdup.
Roughly 50 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with about 20 believed to still be alive nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, attacks.