Israeli army announces daily 'tactical pause' in several areas

The Israeli army announced Sunday that it would observe a "tactical pause" daily in several areas of the Gaza Strip and the implementation of secure humanitarian corridors for U.N. and NGO convoys to address a worsening hunger crisis.

"The pause will be observed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. [7 a.m. to 5 p.m. GMT] starting today [Sunday,]" beginning with the areas of Deir al-Balah [center], al-Mawasi [south,] and Gaza City [north] where there are "no military operations," the army said in a statement.

"Permanent corridors" will be set up "from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. [3 a.m. to 8 p.m. GMT] to allow the safe passage of U.N. convoys and humanitarian aid organizations delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population of the Gaza Strip," it added.

The Israeli army indicated the decision was coordinated with these organizations following "discussions on this subject." Residents of these areas were notified via a post in Arabic by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee on X.

The U.N. or NGOs operating in Gaza have not officially responded for now, while humanitarian sources, privately skeptical, said they were waiting to see the concrete effects of the Israeli announcement on the ground.

Resumption of aid airdrops

Israel released images overnight from Saturday to Sunday of an airdrop of "seven aid packages containing flour, sugar, and canned goods" over the Gaza Strip, following weeks of international pressure to allow food and other vital supplies to reach the starving population in the Palestinian territory ravaged by more than 21 months of war.

The airdrop was "carried out in coordination with international organizations and led by Cogat [a Defense Ministry agency,]" the army said in a statement issued overnight from Saturday to Sunday on Telegram.

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Saturday that the resumption of humanitarian aid drops by air over Gaza was an "ineffective" step in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the Palestinian territory.

The decision by the Israeli government comes after statements by President Donald Trump, who accused Hamas of not wanting a cease-fire agreement in Gaza. The U.S. administration and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu said they would seek "alternative solutions."

The war was triggered by an unprecedented attack led by the Islamist movement Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed at least 59,733 in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, considered reliable by the U.N.