Israel Halts Gaza Bombardment for 10 Hours Daily Amid Aid Push
Daily “Tactical Pauses” Aim to Facilitate Aid Delivery as Death Toll from Starvation Rises
Israel’s military has announced a daily 10-hour pause in bombing densely populated areas of Gaza, a move aimed at increasing the flow of vital aid into the war-torn territory. This concession follows intense international pressure to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, which has seen a significant rise in starvation-related deaths.
Aid Convoys and Airdrops Increase
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated the “tactical pause” would affect regions including Deir al Balah, Gaza City, and the Mawasi camp. In parallel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates conducted their first airdrop in months, delivering 25 tons of supplies. A Jordanian official emphasized that these aerial drops are not a replacement for land-based deliveries.
The Egyptian Red Crescent also dispatched over 100 trucks carrying more than 1,200 metric tons of food aid towards southern Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. These efforts come as the population in Mawasi has swelled dramatically, with hundreds of thousands displaced from other areas now residing in the coastal zone, creating a vast encampment.
Palestinian health officials reported five additional deaths from starvation, bringing the total to 127 in recent days, including 85 children. The director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, **Dr Munir Al-Barsh**, stated, “A humanitarian truce is not a time for silence, but rather for saving those who remain alive.”
“This truce will mean nothing if it doesn’t turn into a real opportunity to save lives. Every delay is measured by another funeral, and every silence means another child dying in its mother’s arms without medicine or milk.”
—Dr Munir Al-Barsh, Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health
Gazans expressed a cautious hope that these developments signal a shift towards ending the conflict. “People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza,” shared business owner **Tamer Al-Burai**. “We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up.”
UN Agency Criticizes Airdrops
The IDF also announced the establishment of “secure corridors” to facilitate the United Nations and aid agencies in collecting and distributing supplies from the Gaza border. This initiative addresses a key criticism that ongoing military activity made aid collection too perilous.
However, Philippe Lazarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, described the airdrop announcement as a “distraction.” He argued on X that “Man-made hunger can only be addressed by political will” and that “Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper, and safer. It’s more dignified for the people of Gaza.”
The pauses are scheduled to occur daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice, with Israeli strikes expected to continue elsewhere. These measures come as humanitarian organizations, including the World Food Programme, continue to report severe food insecurity across the Gaza Strip, with an estimated 97% of the population facing acute food shortages according to a 2024 UN OCHA report.
