Jordan and UAE begin aid drops into starving Gaza after Israel pauses attacks
Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations each day for 10 hours in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors into the strip.
The country has been facing growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world.
Military activity will stop from 10am to 8pm until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area which stretches along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, to the north.
The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6am and 11pm starting from Sunday.
Jordan and the UAE parachuted 25 tons of aid, in the first air drop in months. Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes.
The United Nations ' food agency welcomed the steps to ease aid restrictions, but said a broader ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need in Gaza. Unicef called it 'an opportunity to save lives.'
Dr Muneer al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition.
'This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' he said. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.'
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said staff would step up efforts to feed the hungry during the pauses in the designated areas.
"Our teams on the ground ... will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, health officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli firing killed at least 17 people and wounded 50 people waiting for aid trucks on Sunday. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas -run enclave. The Gaza health ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total number of deaths from malnutrition and hunger to 133 including 87 children.
Israel is facing increased international pressure to end the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza as US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday.
Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'.
The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would negotiate on a lasting truce under the deal.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Gaza latest: Israel to pause fighting to let aid into Gaza as UN warns 'children are wasting away'
Nearly 100 killed seeking aid in Gaza yesterday, health ministry says Close to 100 people were killed while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave. It comes as Israel announced a "one-week scale-up of aid" and declared military operations in three areas of Gaza would be halted for 10 hours daily until further notice to support this. The ministry said 67 people were killed in northern Gaza and six others in Khan Younis in the south. The Israel Defence Forces said that troops "fired warning shots in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them" after "a gathering of thousands of Gazans was identified in the northern Gaza Strip". "The IDF is aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details of the incident are still being examined," it added, without disclosing casualty figures. Crowd attacked by 'Israeli tanks and snipers' The UN's World Food Programme said a 25-truck convoy carrying food crossed the Zikim border yesterday morning aiming to reach communities in northern Gaza. It said the convoy encountered "large crowds of civilians anxiously waiting to access desperately needed food supplies". "As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire". There were further reports of Israeli attacks in other areas of Gaza not covered by the military pauses. The IDF issued a warning to residents in northern Gaza, including the cities of Beit Lahia and Jabalia, calling the areas "active combat zones and extremely dangerous". Israel begins 'scale-up of aid' in Gaza - but UN chiefs warn more needed to stop famine The United Nations says it welcomes Israel's decision to support a one-week scale-up of aid in Gaza but warned more action is needed to "stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis". UN aid chief Tom Fletcher made the remarks as Israel said it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow aid corridors to "refute the false claim of intentional starvation". Jordan, the UAE and Egypt said they delivered aid into Gaza by land and air - with Jordan and the UAE saying "25 tonnes of food aid and essential humanitarian supplies" were delivered by aid airdrops. It comes at a critical time. Fletcher welcomed the up-scale of aid but said one in three people in Gaza "hasn't eaten for days" and "children are wasting away". "This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis," he said. Other aid agencies made similar comments. Medecins Sans Frontieres said the pause in fighting and aid drop is "not enough" and there should be a distribution list "so that everybody knows that they're going to receive their own parcel". Unicef said the aid boost was an "opportunity to reverse this catastrophe" but said more humanitarian corridors needed to be opened to allow aid trucks through. Welcome back to our live coverage Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Gaza. Over the weekend, Israel announced an agreement to support a "one-week scale-up of aid" for the enclave following sustained and growing international condemnation that it is responsible for starvation there. In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said it would establish secure routes to help the UN and aid agencies deliver food and other supplies, while aid airdrops have also resumed. But the United Nations has warned more action is needed to "stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis". To facilitate the scale-up of aid, the IDF said military operations in three areas would be halted daily from 10am to 8pm local time (8am to 6pm UK time) until further notice. But despite this, Israel later carried out an airstrike during the pause. It also warned that "intense force" was still being used in some areas of Gaza, including in Jabalia and Beit Lahia. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said at least 73 people were killed and around 150 people injured by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid yesterday. Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Sir Keir Starmer today, where Gaza is expected to be a focus during their talks in Scotland. Downing Street said the PM will raise "what more can be done to secure the ceasefire" in the Middle East during the meeting at the US president's Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire. As always, stay with us as we bring you the latest news on Gaza. That's all for now We're pausing our live coverage. We'll be back with any further developments, but in the meantime here's a quick summary of today's key points: Israel announced a 10-hour pause in three parts of Gaza to allow more aid into the devastated territory; The UN's aid chief said teams will distribute as much aid as they can during the pause, which will be repeated each day "until further notice"; Fighting continues in other parts, with medics reporting at least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since last night; Meanwhile, a UK minister told Sky News it's a "matter of time" until the government recognises Palestinian statehood - but it must be part of a "pathway to peace"; And Bob Geldof told us he thinks Israel is lying about starvation in Gaza. Gazans react to pauses in fighting Gazans have reacted to news of pauses in fighting in some areas of Gaza to allow for new aid corridors into the enclave with relief. "People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza," Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner, told Reuters. "We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up." However, some said they were concerned about how aid will be delivered and whether it will reach people seafely. "Aid should enter in a logical way. When aid is airdropped, it causes injuries and damage," displaced Gaza resident Suhaib Mohammed said. Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship sailed by activists An aid ship headed for Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli military late last night. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition - which last month tried to reach the territory with a crew including activist Greta Thunberg - Israel detained 21 people on board. The coalition operating the vessel Handala said the Israeli military "violently intercepted" the ship in international waters, about 40 miles from Gaza, just before midnight. "All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade," the group said. The Israeli military has not commented. The foreign ministry said the navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore. Regional human rights group Adalah said the raid violated international law, and demanded the release of the 21 activists. "The flotilla never entered Israeli territorial waters, nor was it intended to do so; it was headed toward the territorial waters of the State of Palestine, as recognised under international law," Adalah said. UN aid chief welcomes pause in Gaza The UN's aid chief has just shared a few words on social media, reacting to Israel's announcement this morning. A pause took effect this morning - lasting for 10 hours in three parts of Gaza - to allow more aid in. Tom Fletcher said UN teams will step up efforts to feed Palestinians during the pause, which will repeat each day until further notice. "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said. Baby died of starvation weighing less than when she was born Warning: some of the details and images in this post may be distressing The latest child to starve to death in Gaza died weighing less than the day she was born. Zainab abu Habib was just five months old as her mother, Esraa abu Habib, gave her one last kiss yesterday. She was brought into the paediatric department at Nasser Hospital on Friday, already dead. A worker at the morgue carefully removed her Mickey Mouse-printed shirt. His thumb was wider than her ankle and he could see the bones on her chest. The girl weighed more than 3kg at birth, her mother said, but after what a doctor described as "severe, severe starvation", her weight was less than 2kg at the end. Her father, Ahmed abu Habib, said she needed a special baby formula that "did not exist in Gaza", as he prepared for her funeral in the southern city of Khan Younis. The head of the paediatric department, Dr Ahmed al Farah, said the baby needed a special type of formula for allergies to cow's milk. With none of the formula she needed, Zainab developed chronic diarrhoea and vomiting, he said, and she wasn't able to swallow. 'Many will follow' Like many of Gaza's Palestinians, the baby's displaced family lives in a tent. Esraa said she breastfed the girl for six weeks before trying to feed her formula. "With my daughter's death, many will follow," she added. "Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers... our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers." Israel's denial Zainab is one of dozens of children reported by Gaza's health ministry to have died of malnutrition-related causes. Israel, as we've been reporting, has paused the fighting in certain parts of Gaza to allow more aid in, following widespread criticism over its access to the territory - see our 8.02 post for more on that. Its foreign ministry, however, denies any starvation. It said last Saturday: "Israel rejects the false accusations of 'starvation' propaganda initiated by Hamas which manipulates pictures of children suffering from terminal diseases. It is shameful." In pictures: Palestinians gather to collect aid These are some of the latest pictures from Gaza today, showing crowds gather for aid in the north. Trucks have also lined up at the southern border in Egypt. Recognising Palestine as a state is a 'matter of time', says UK minister A UK minister has told Sky News the government is "unequivocal" in its commitment to recognise Palestine as a state. James Murray, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said it's a "matter of time". But that has to be part of a "pathway to peace", he said, as the prime minister comes under pressure to recognise Palestinian statehood. Murray told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: "We are fully committed to recognition of Palestine. That's unequivocal. The prime minister has made that absolutely clear. "It's not a question of if, what we now need to focus on is how do we make Palestinian statehood a reality."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Israeli forces kill 63 Palestinian in Gaza within hours of ‘humanitarian pause'
The Israeli military killed at least 63 people across Gaza just hours after declaring daily 'pauses' in operations to facilitate the passage of humanitarian aid, health officials said. The military said on Sunday it would suspend operations daily from 10am until 8pm in parts of central and northern Gaza, including al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah and Gaza City, and promised to open aid corridors from 6am to 11pm to let in food and medical supplies. However, within hours of the so-called 'humanitarian pause' taking effect, Israeli forces resumed air raids. One reported strike targeted a bakery in an area designated as a 'safe zone', according to Al Jazeera. The humanitarian crisis continued to worsen. Health officials reported six more deaths, including of two children, from starvation in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 133. Among the latest to succumb was five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, who died of malnutrition at the Nasser Hospital. 'Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead,' her mother Israa Abu Haleeb told Al Jazeera. The World Food Programme said one in three people in Gaza had gone days without food and about half a million were experiencing famine-like conditions. More than 20 per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding women were malnourished, according to the World Health Organization. Israel maintains that it is working to improve aid access and denies that famine exists in Gaza. But aid organisations say the situation is catastrophic, with a quarter of the population at risk of acute malnutrition. UN officials say the crisis won't ease unless Israel speeds up the movement of aid convoys through its checkpoints. A top UN official said last week Palestinians were beginning to resemble 'walking corpses'. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, said humanitarian workers were encountering children who were 'emaciated, weak and at high risk of dying' without immediate intervention. 'Families are no longer coping. They're breaking down, unable to survive,' Mr Lazzarini said. 'Their existence is threatened.' Israel has severely limited the flow of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza, allowing only a small number of trucks to enter each day after enforcing an 11-week total blockade earlier this year. UN officials warn the current level of aid is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of need. The Israeli military intercepted an aid ship bound for Gaza that aimed to breach the blockade on the Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists and confiscating all cargo, including baby formula, food, and medicine, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on Sunday. The group said Israeli forces 'violently intercepted' their vessel, Handala, in international waters around 40 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, cutting off cameras and communication shortly before midnight on Saturday. 'All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade,'' the group said in a statement. It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israeli forces prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza. It was reported on Sunday that Jordan and the UAE had begun airdropping aid into the besieged Palestinian territory. But Mr Lazzarini said 'airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation'. 'They are expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians. It is a distraction & smokescreen,' he said in an X post. 'A manmade hunger can only be addressed by political will. Lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements with dignified access to people in need. Israel's war on Gaza has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, injured over 144,000, and left most of the densely populated coastal territory in ruins and the majority of its 2.2 million people homeless and starving. Israel launched the war in October 2023 after nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage during a Hamas attack.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Protesting over Gaza's starvation feels like screaming into a void – but we mustn't stop
The children die first. In conditions of starvation, their growing bodies' nutritional needs are higher than those of adults, and so their reserves are depleted faster. Their immune systems, not yet fully developed, become weaker, more susceptible to disease and infection. A bout of diarrhoea is lethal. Their wounds don't heal. The babies cannot be breastfed as their mothers have not eaten. They die at double the rate of adults. Last week, over a period of just 72 hours, 21 children died in Gaza of malnutrition and starvation. The path to death from starvation is a slow and agonising one, especially in a territory suffering shortages of not just food, but medicine, shelter and clean water. The total death toll from hunger surpassed 100 at the weekend; 80 of those were children. An aid worker reported that children are telling their parents that they want to die and go to heaven, because 'at least heaven has food'. Every single one of these deaths, and those that will come, is preventable. The World Health Organization described the starvation as 'man-made', but it is more than that. It is foreseeable and thus deliberate. Israel's siege on Gaza has blocked tonnes of aid from entering, or being distributed to those who need it, according to humanitarian organisations there. The 'tactical pause' of military operations for a few hours a day in three parts of the Gaza Strip to allow in some aid is a measure that does not ameliorate a crisis accrued over time. The starvation, long warned about, is the latest phase of a campaign almost two years long, for which words are now entirely inadequate. Genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass punishment – all these descriptions still somehow do not capture the lurid and varied ways in which Palestinians in Gaza are being killed: bombed in their homes, and in their tents, burned alive in their hospital beds, shot while queueing for food and now starved. It almost doesn't matter what it is called any more, because all you need to see to know that what is happening is a crime that requires immediate action is the bones of a child sticking out of its thin skin, while the food it needs is being blocked by Israeli soldiers. The time for justifications, arguing about semantics and hand-wringing over the 'complexity' of the conflict has long passed. The only question now is, how is it that the world cannot get Israel to allow a morsel of food into a starving civilian's mouth? How is this a government still not decisively cut off, sanctioned and embargoed? How is this a government, still, that David Lammy thinks he can 'urge' to do the right thing? The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, posted on X calling the images from Gaza 'unbearable', and called for more aid to be let in and for Israel to 'deliver on its pledges'. This, and other EU social media statements, was described by an Oxfam official as 'hollow' and 'baffling'. Benjamin Netanyahu has proved, over and over, that he has no intention of complying with anything. Only last week, a minister said that 'there is no nation that feeds its enemies', and that the government was 'rushing toward Gaza being wiped out' while also 'driving out the population that educated its people on the ideas of Mein Kampf'. The truth is that there is no strategic goal for defeating Hamas, only constantly shifting goalposts, under a prime minister who has yoked his political survival to the indefinite extension of an assault on Gaza. And in the meantime, the escalating horrors and their relentless continuation unsettle and reconfigure the world. But the more the hard, cold core of support for Israel's actions is revealed, the more credibility and legitimacy drains away from it. The result is a head-on confrontation between political establishments and the public in a situation that is no longer manageable. The recent escalating rhetoric, for it is only that, from Keir Starmer is an indication that Gaza is now an issue that must be paid lip service to if it is not to further coalesce into a domestic problem for an already embattled government. But still, that rhetoric seems to be part of an elaborate game, in which everyone dances increasingly performatively around what needs to happen. That game is to maintain, no matter the violation, the tenability of Israel as a moral player, while pretending that when it transgresses it will be scolded back into compliance. The 'when' here is important. The players of this game are constantly inventing new beginnings, new red lines, new watersheds, which mean the necessary point of rupture with Israel is constantly moved to a new point on the horizon. Whether it is the killing of aid workers, the killing of those actually seeking aid, or now the starvation, each escalation of Israel's campaign seems to trigger a fresh wave of finger wagging. The result is a permanent moment of impending action, as threatened by Lammy. Action that never comes. And while we wait, the status quo is maintained in a holding pattern until the latest horror fades from our screens and front pages. Or Israel applies some temporary measure, such as its 'tactical pause' in the fighting, that does not address the fundamental conditions of siege, blockade and civilian killings. But protest, no matter how ostensibly ineffective, remains the only way any pressure can be applied on those who have the power to censure Israel in ways that are meaningful, by ceasing military and trade relations. Protesting might feel like screaming into a void, but even the little change we have seen – the pitifully few trucks of aid now rolling into Gaza – is down to the strain of that confrontation with the political establishment. What else public anger is capable of achieving can only be realised if it does not relent. The way that strain translates into something meaningful can be impossible to divine, because being subjected to these placatory ruses for almost two years has been enough to inflict a sort of cognitive injury. We are told by powerful politicians that things cannot continue as they are, and then, suddenly, it is another few months and things have not only continued but worsened. There is something genuinely mind-bending about it, something exhausting and scattering of resolve when it seems that finally, something seems to be shifting and sanity is prevailing, and then it doesn't. The purpose is to quieten the public through verbal laudanum, or distract it by the lowest-cost calls for recognising a Palestinian state. These are phantom wins, a grotesque exercise in crowd control, reputation laundering and public opinion management. Innocents are now starving to death. All that is not action is noise. Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist
