Israel announces tactical pause in military activity in parts of Gaza
The Israeli military said that in order to increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Strip, a 'local tactical pause' in military activity will take place for humanitarian purposes from 10am to 8pm local time on Sunday.
The pauses will be in place every day until further notice the southern coastal area of Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Gaza City in the northern part of the enclave
This decision was coordinated with the UN and international organisations, according to the IDF.
The military also designated 'secure routes' that will be in place permanently from 6am to 11pm to enable the 'safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organisation convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population across the Gaza Strip.'
These moves come as Sir Keir Starmer is expected to push Donald Trump, the US president, to restart Gaza peace talks. The US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams on Friday.
Sir Keir is also facing pressure for the UK Government to follow France in announcing it will recognise Palestine as a state, a highly symbolic move that would risk the ire of both Israel and Mr Trump.
The Israeli Air Force also air dropped humanitarian aid over Gaza for the first time since the beginning of the war.
Until now, other countries such as the UAE and UK have air dropped food over the Strip during periods of the conflict, but Israel has not taken direct part in such operations.
The IDF said the airdrop was carried out in coordination with international organisations and led by COGAT (Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories). The airdrops included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food.
But the airdrops have been criticised for endangering Gazans when they hit the ground, and for being ineffective.
'Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper and safer. It's more dignified for the people of Gaza,' said Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
COGAT and Israel Electric Corporation also connected the power line from Israel to the desalination plant in Gaza, with the IDF saying that move is expected to supply approximately 20,000 cubic meters of water per day, up from the 2,000 cubic meters supplied until now, to serve about 900,000 residents in the area.
The UN and other international organisations also increased their efforts to alleviate starvation in Gaza, picking up and distributing some 600 trucks from border crossings.
The UN and Israel have blamed each other in the past week for aid not getting into Gaza.
Israel invited international journalists to the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing earlier this week to see nearly 1,000 trucks worth of aid piling up and waiting to get picked up.
Israel said they regularly update the UN on which routes are safe to use when picking up aid, and that the IDF had extended operating hours at the border crossings.
Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, said that Israel is imposing 'tremendous bureaucratic impediments' and 'tremendous security impediments'.
Mr Dujarric said: 'Frankly I think there is a lack of willingness to allow us to do our work.'
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