Israel announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave. The United Nations food aid agency needs quick approvals by Israel for its trucks to move into Gaza if it is to take advantage of Israel’s planned humanitarian pauses in fighting.
Work on a UAE project to run a new pipeline that will supply water from a desalination facility in neighbouring Egypt to around 600,000 Gazans along the coast would also begin in a few days, the Israeli military said. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave.
Initial reports indicate that more than 100 truckloads of aid were collected from crossings to be transported into Gaza on Sunday, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis. In their first airdrop in months, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza on Sunday, a Jordanian official said. Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes.
A group of 25 states including Britain, France, and Canada last week said Israel’s denial of aid was unacceptable. The military’s spokesperson said Israel was committed to international law and monitors the humanitarian situation daily. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said there was no starvation in Gaza, but appeared to acknowledge conditions were critical.
Many Gazans expressed some relief at Sunday’s announcement, but said fighting must end. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at suspects endangering troops and was unaware of any casualties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies whether it is fighting or negotiating a ceasefire and vowed to press on with the campaign until “complete victory.”
