Latest news with #humanitariantruce
ABC News
5 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Israel announces 'pause' to fighting in parts of Gaza as aid drops resume
Israel is halting the bombardment of densely populated parts of Gaza for 10 hours a day, as it yields to international pressure to let more aid into the war-ravaged strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the so-called "tactical pause" would be in place in areas around Deir al Balah, Gaza City, and the Mawasi camp. Until last week, Deir al Balah had been largely spared from Israeli strikes and shelling as it was believed to be the location where Hamas was holding Israeli hostages. There are 50 hostages held in Gaza, with 20 of them believed to still be alive. The population in Mawasi has surged in recent weeks, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Khan Younis and beyond were told to move to the coastal zone as displacement orders were expanded elsewhere in the strip, turning the area into a sea of tents. "This decision was coordinated with the UN and international organisations following discussions regarding the matter," the IDF said in a statement. The IDF "pauses" will run daily from 10am to 8pm "until further notice," it said. Israeli strikes elsewhere are expected to continue unchanged. Palestinian health authorities announced another five deaths from starvation late on Saturday, raising the death toll to 127 people, including 85 children. "A humanitarian truce is not a time for silence, but rather for saving those who remain alive," said the director general of Gaza's Ministry of Health, Dr Munir Al-Barsh, in a statement. "In light of a temporary truce stifled by international hesitation and silence, the wounded are crying out for help, children are starving, and mothers are collapsing over the ruins of what remains of life. "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 Al-Barsh said urgent medical evacuations were needed for patients requiring serious surgery and complex treatments, and the urgent entry of aid such as baby formula, nutritional supplements, and antibiotics. The development followed an announcement on Saturday night, local time, that the Israeli military would begin airdrops of aid into the strip. Seven pallets were dropped, carrying flour, sugar, and canned food. There are reports that as many as 11 Palestinians were injured as the pallets fell on their tents. The IDF also announced it would create "secure corridors" for the United Nations and aid agencies to pick up supplies sitting at the Gaza border and distribute them through the strip. A key criticism of Israel in recent weeks has been that it was too dangerous and difficult to collect the supplies, which are sitting on the Gaza side of the border, because of Israel's ongoing military activity. Israel has accused the UN of failing to do its job in taking the aid where it is needed. The humanitarian corridors will operate from 6am to 11pm daily. Philippe Lazarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA — the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees — called the airdrop announcement a "distraction". "Man-made hunger can only be addressed by political will," he said in a post on X. "Airdrops will not prevent aid diversion, principled humanitarian assistance will … Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper, and safer. It's more dignified for the people of Gaza."
Asharq Al-Awsat
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudan's RSF Says It Has Not Been Officially Notified of Humanitarian Truce in El Fasher
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had not received any official request from international actors to implement a humanitarian truce in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where thousands of civilians remain trapped and at risk of famine. The statement came a day after Sudanese army chief and head of the ruling Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, agreed to a week-long ceasefire in El Fasher at the request of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. RSF legal adviser Mohamed al-Mukhtar al-Nour told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group rejects any partial or full ceasefire, whether in El Fasher or elsewhere. He said the RSF had not received formal communication from the UN or the United States regarding the proposed truce. According to al-Nour, El Fasher is now largely deserted, with most civilians having fled to areas such as Tawila, Karma, and Jebel Marra. Those remaining in the city, he claimed, are Sudanese Armed Forces personnel and allied fighters from armed movements supporting the army. El Fasher has been the focal point of intense fighting in recent weeks, raising alarm among humanitarian agencies about the safety of civilians and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
