Israel Halts Fire, But Only Briefly, as Gaza Starves

Israel announced a “tactical pause” in its military operations across parts of Gaza on Sunday, allowing for humanitarian aid to be delivered more safely as fears of mass starvation intensify.

The Israeli military stated that the pause would create secure corridors for the UN and other aid agencies to distribute food and medicine within the territory.

There, over two million Palestinians face severe shortages of basic necessities.

The pause, scheduled daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, will apply to specific areas where Israeli ground forces are not currently active, namely Al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City.

The military emphasized that “designated secure routes” would be accessible throughout the Gaza Strip to facilitate aid convoys.

While the move was announced as part of broader coordination with the UN and international humanitarian organizations, aid workers responded with caution.

Some humanitarian sources expressed skepticism, privately indicating they would wait to assess the impact of the tactical pause on the ground before commenting publicly.

In addition to opening land corridors, the Israeli army said it had begun airdropping food into Gaza.

It also firmly denied allegations that it was weaponizing hunger against the Palestinian population.

The military claimed these efforts should invalidate accusations that it is deliberately using starvation as a method of warfare.

Since March 2, when ceasefire negotiations collapsed, Israel has maintained a strict blockade on Gaza.

Although a limited amount of aid was allowed to resume in late May, international organizations and over 100 NGOs have raised alarms in recent days.

They warned that “mass starvation” is rapidly spreading across the enclave.

Amid the deepening crisis, countries including the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom announced renewed efforts to support Gaza via airborne aid.

The UAE confirmed it would restart food drops immediately, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would partner with Jordan to facilitate similar operations.

On Sunday, the Israeli military said it had conducted a humanitarian airdrop as part of its initiative to scale up aid delivery.

However, many humanitarian leaders argue that airdrops are not a viable long-term solution.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini criticized the tactic as “inefficient, costly, and potentially dangerous,” warning that it could even result in civilian deaths in such dire circumstances.

Despite Israel’s insistence that it does not limit the number of trucks entering Gaza, humanitarian organizations argue otherwise.

They claim that the Israeli military’s restrictions, including road access limitations and security clearances — are severely hampering efforts to deliver aid.

Israel, in turn, accuses UN agencies and NGOs of failing to retrieve and distribute the supplies once they arrive.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a separate initiative backed by Israel and the United States, has also come under fire.

This effort has been marred by deadly incidents, with Israeli forces reportedly killing hundreds of Palestinians near food distribution sites.

In a separate event highlighting ongoing tensions, Israeli naval forces intercepted a boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on Saturday.

The vessel, attempting to challenge the longstanding naval blockade of Gaza, was boarded by Israeli troops as it neared the territory.

The boat’s live video feeds were abruptly cut as soldiers moved in.

The humanitarian emergency in Gaza continues to worsen daily.

Palestinian civil defense reported more than 50 additional deaths on Saturday from Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, some of which occurred as civilians waited near food distribution centers.

One resident, Hossam Sobh, described narrowly escaping death while retrieving flour in the presence of Israeli tanks, pleading for Arab nations to push for a ceasefire.

Media coverage and independent verification of casualties remain extremely limited due to restricted access and dangerous conditions in Gaza.

The latest tolls, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, indicate that 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the Israeli offensive.

This military campaign began following the October 2023 attack by Hamas that killed 1,219 people in Israel, the majority of whom were civilians.

As the situation remains volatile, international pressure continues to mount for a permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.

Whether Israel’s tactical pause translates into real relief for starving civilians remains to be seen.

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