Israel to pause fighting in parts of Gaza as hunger pressure builds

Israel's military announced on Sunday a daily pause of its operations in parts of Gaza and the establishment of new aid corridors, after months of international pressure over a worsening hunger crisis spreading in the Palestinian enclave.

The military said it would cease activity in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time until further notice, areas where it had not renewed ground operations since March, when it resumed its Gaza offensive.

The military also said 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.

The Egyptian Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday that aid started moving towards Gaza from Egypt. Hours earlier Israel began aid airdrops in what it described as an effort to ease the humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

UN teams will step up efforts to feed Palestinians in Gaza during these pauses in designated areas announced on Sunday by Israel, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said.

"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.

On Thursday, the UN said humanitarian pauses in Gaza would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance" and said Israel had not been providing enough route alternatives for its convoys, hindering aid access.

International alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has increased and as Israel and the U.S. appeared on Friday to abandon ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the militants did not want a deal.

Aid organisations said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people, with food running out after Israel cut off all supplies to the territory in March, before resuming it in May with new restrictions.

Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in the past few weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. A total of 127 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, since the start of the war, the ministry said.

Israel says there is no starvation in Gaza and that the aid halt was meant to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it is still holding in Gaza.

On Friday, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, said: "This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it's a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity, but words don't feed hungry children."

Child malnutrition

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."

After letting in aid in May, Israel said there was enough food in Gaza but accused the UN of failing to distribute it. The UN said it was operating as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.

Since then, Israel's offensive against Hamas has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population.