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Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
10-hour pause, but no peace: Gaza reels from famine, 38 dead; aid airdropped from sky
Top developments: Aid airdrops, tactical pause, and grim toll in Gaza As Gaza's humanitarian crisis worsens amid ongoing war, a mix of symbolic gestures and limited policy shifts is playing out on the ground. With global criticism mounting over the scale of civilian casualties and the near-collapse of aid operations, Israel has begun a daily "tactical pause" in parts of Gaza to allow humanitarian deliveries, though deadly strikes continue. Meanwhile, Jordan and the UAE have stepped in with emergency airdrops. Here's a breakdown of the latest key developments: Jordan, UAE drop 25 tonnes of aid over Gaza Two Jordanian planes and one from the UAE carried out airdrops on Sunday, delivering 25 tonnes of food and humanitarian aid, according to the Jordanian military. The drops targeted multiple areas across Gaza, responding to warnings of looming famine and rising deaths linked to hunger. Israel begins daily 'tactical pause' in fighting The Israeli military has launched a daily 10-hour 'tactical pause' in three areas: Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and Muwasi (10 am to 8 pm local time), to allow movement of aid convoys. However, Israeli airstrikes continued even during these hours, killing at least 38 Palestinians, including 23 people reportedly waiting for aid. Gaza's health ministry said a woman and her four children were killed in one such strike on an apartment in Gaza City. Strikes near aid sites raise alarm In Nuseirat, 13 people, including four children, were killed near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution point, according to Awda Hospital. GHF denied any incident at its facility. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports. Famine deepens amid aid bottlenecks The World Food Programme estimates one-third of Gaza's population goes days without eating, with half a million people on the brink of famine. Aid access was cut off entirely for nearly 2.5 months after a deadly incident in March. Since May, only 69 trucks per day have entered Gaza, far below the 500–600 daily that UN agencies say are necessary. Israel has endorsed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as a new aid channel bypassing the UN, but rights groups say over 1,000 people have died seeking food, and distribution remains chaotic and dangerous. Medical supplies, food critically low Gaza's health ministry called for an urgent 'flood' of aid, warning that hospitals and clinics are out of essential medicines and equipment. Dr Muneer al-Boursh said, 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.' UNICEF called the tactical pause an 'opportunity to save lives,' though the Norwegian Refugee Council said it was 'far from enough to meet the overwhelming needs.' Ceasefire talks break down again Peace talks have stalled, with both Israel and the US recalling negotiators from Qatar. Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi dismissed the pause as a PR move, 'Israel is trying to change its image… but it will not escape punishment.' Israel insists it will not stop until Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile, terms Hamas has rejected. Death toll surges on both sides More than 59,700 Palestinians have been killed since October, according to Gaza's Health Ministry; over half are reportedly women and children. The Israeli military reports 898 soldiers killed since the start of ground operations. The conflict began after Hamas' October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages taken, 50 remain in captivity, and many are believed dead.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Israel begins a limited pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas as concerns over hunger mount
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of a series of steps launched as concerns over surging hunger in the territory mount and as Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said it would begin a 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' entering the territory. The pause begins every day at 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time until further notice, starting Sunday. The military also said that it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery and that it carried out aid airdrops into Gaza, which included packages of aid with flour, sugar and canned food. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence for that claim. Images emerging from Gaza in recent days of emaciated children have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who have called for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has spawned. 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. Israel said the new measures were taking place while it continues its offensive against Hamas in other areas. Ahead of the pause, health officials in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes. 'This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' said Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, who called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.' Israel has restricted aid to Gaza throughout the war The local pause in fighting came days after ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. On Friday, Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with the militant group. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused to agree to. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said that Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgement that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza and that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. He said that Israel 'will not escape punishment and will inevitably pay the price for these criminal practices.' After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies completely to Gaza for 2 ½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed for Gaza. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new aid sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying that its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The military said the new steps were made in coordination with the U.N. and other humanitarian groups. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. The World Food Program said in a statement that a third of Gaza's population of around 2 million were not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. It said it had enough food in or on its way to the region to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. At least 27 Palestinians killed in latest strikes, health officials say The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 11 people and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a GHF aid distribution site in central Gaza. GHF, which denies involvement in any of the violence near its sites, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The military said it was looking into the report. Elsewhere, a strike hit a tent sheltering a displaced family in the Asdaa area, northwest of the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least nine people, according to Nasser Hospital. The dead included a father and his two children, and another father and his son, the hospital said. In Gaza City, a strike hit an apartment late Saturday in the city's western side, killing four people, including two women, said the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. In Deir-al-Balah early Sunday, a strike on a tent near a desalination plant killed a couple and another woman, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. However, it usually blames Hamas for civilian casualties, saying the Palestinian militant group operates in populated areas. The military announced Sunday that another two soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since Oct. 7, 2023, to 898. The war began with Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Hamas still holds 50 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel declares 'tactical pause' in parts of Gaza amid mounting pressure over starvation
Israel declared a "tactical pause" in military operations in parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, saying it had opened secure corridors for United Nations (UN) aid convoys. The move comes amid growing international outrage over mass starvation in the besieged territory and its genocidal acts in the 22-month war on Gaza. The Israeli military also announced it had begun airdropping food into the enclave. In a statement, the army said the decision was coordinated with the UN and other international organizations to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip." There was no immediate response from the UN or non-governmental aid agencies operating in Gaza. Privately, some aid workers expressed scepticism, telling Agence France-Presse (AFP) they would wait to see the results on the ground. Limited pause, ongoing attacks The pause is restricted to areas where Israeli forces 'are not currently active'—including Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City—and will last from 10:00am to 8:00pm daily. Israel said 'designated secure routes' would remain open across the Strip to allow UN and NGO convoys to deliver food and medicine. However, the occupation stressed that operations against Hamas would continue elsewhere. Hours before the pause took effect, Gaza's health authorities reported that separate Israeli strikes killed 16 Palestinians. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, Director General of Gaza's Health Ministry, told the Associated Press (AP) he welcomed any humanitarian window but warned: 'This truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives.' He called for an immediate influx of medical supplies and nutrition for children suffering from acute malnutrition. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral,' he said. The pause comes days after hopes for a ceasefire faded, as the United States and Israel abruptly pulled out of the latest round of negotiations with Hamas, despite the group's stated willingness to continue talks. The move drew sharp criticism from international aid groups and regional governments, who urged renewed diplomatic pressure to halt the war and end the starvation campaign. Starvation crisis and global backlash For four months, food security experts and aid agencies have warned that famine is imminent in Gaza. Israel has severely restricted aid access, citing concerns that Hamas diverts supplies—a claim it has not substantiated. Recent images of emaciated children have intensified global criticism, including from Israel's closest allies, with repeated calls for a ceasefire and a lifting of the blockade. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi told AP that Israel's announcement was an implicit admission that Palestinians were starving and that this move is intended to improve its international image, not to save lives. 'Israel will not escape punishment and will inevitably pay the price for these criminal practices,' he stated. Weeks ahead of unilaterally ending a two-month ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, on 18 March, Israel blocked the entry of food, medicine, and fuel into Gaza. Under international pressure, some restrictions were eased in May, but only limited quantities of aid have been able to enter the Strip. The GHF massacres In May, Israel backed the creation of the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to bypass the UN system. The foundation opened four aid distribution centres, near which more than 1,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach food, according to the UN human rights office. Israel has repeatedly accused the UN of enabling Hamas to steal aid, a charge the UN strongly denies. UN officials maintain that their mechanism is the most effective and transparent method for delivering relief. With much of Gaza's population now crammed into ever-shrinking zones of displacement, aid has become a matter of survival. Egyptian aid and regional efforts On Sunday, Egyptian aid trucks carrying large quantities of food, flour, and materials for infrastructure rehabilitation began moving from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing toward Karm Abu Salem, in preparation for entry into Gaza, according to Al-Qahera News. Egypt reiterated that Israel, as the occupying power, bears full responsibility for the humanitarian crisis and must allow unimpeded aid delivery. Any obstruction, Cairo said, constitutes a violation of international law and must be met with accountability. Before Israel's latest airdrop announcement, the UAE had declared its intention to resume airborne aid deliveries. Britain said it would coordinate with Jordan and others to support airdrop operations. On Saturday alone, over 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, including several near aid distribution points, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence agency. "We ask God and our Arab brothers to work harder to reach a ceasefire before we all die," Gaza resident Hossam Sobh told AFP, recounting how he had risked death to retrieve a bag of flour near an Israeli tank. Humanitarian gimmick or lifeline? Also on Saturday, Israeli naval forces boarded the Handala boat, belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had attempted to break the maritime blockade and deliver aid to Gaza by sea. Over 100 international NGOs this week warned that mass starvation is spreading rapidly across the Strip. The Israeli military, meanwhile, announced via Telegram that it had conducted an airdrop of humanitarian aid 'as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate entry of supplies.' But humanitarian officials remain unconvinced. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned that such measures are insufficient. 'Airdrops are expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians,' Lazzarini wrote on X. He called the crisis 'manmade,' stressing that only the lifting of the siege and safe, dignified land access can halt the wave of famine. Still, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support for the strategy, saying Britain would work with Jordan to resume air drops. The UAE also vowed to act 'immediately.' In 2024, both Arab and Western governments carried out air drops when land access was blocked, but many in the humanitarian field argue they are insufficient and symbolic at best. 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Arab Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Arab Times
Israel pauses military action in three Gaza regions as hunger worsens
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip, July 27, (AP): The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of a series of steps launched as concerns over surging hunger in the territory mount and as Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said it would begin a "tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid' entering the territory. The pause begins every day at 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time until further notice, beginning Sunday. The military also said that it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery and that it carried out aid airdrops into Gaza, which included packages of aid with flour, sugar and canned food. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence for that claim. Images emerging from Gaza in recent days of emaciated children have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who have called for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has spawned. Israel said the new measures were taking place while it continues its offensive against Hamas in other areas. Ahead of the pause, health officials in Gaza said at least 16 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes. "This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' said Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, who called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition. "Every delay is measured by another funeral.' The local pause in fighting came days after ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. On Friday, Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering "alternative options' to ceasefire talks with the militant group. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said that Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgement that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza and that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. He said that Israel "will not escape punishment and will inevitably pay the price for these criminal practices.' After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies completely to Gaza for 2 ½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed for Gaza. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new aid sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying that its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The military said the new steps were made in coordination with the U.N. and other humanitarian groups. There was no immediate comment from the U.N. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. One strike hit a tent sheltering a displaced family in the Asdaa area, northwest of the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least nine people, according to Nasser Hospital.
Al Jazeera
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Israel issues more war threats; Egypt, Qatar scramble to rescue deal
Hamas officials hold talks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, as mediators Egypt and Qatar race against time to save the fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi says there are 'positive signals' that three Israeli captives will be released as planned on Saturday, but says the group is yet to receive commitments from Israel that it would adhere to the truce deal.
