DEYAL AL BARA, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli military Sunday launched a limited pause to fight 10 hours a day in three densely populated areas of Gaza. It is part of a measure to raise concerns as concerns rise and Israel faces criticism over its 21-month war actions.
The military said a “tactical pause” in Gaza city from 10am to 8pm would increase humanitarian assistance for Deial Al Bhara and Mwasi, who have all, into the territory.
UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel’s decision to support a “scathing for a week of assistance,” saying “some movement restrictions appear to have been eased.” But he said he needs to keep his actions up and be vast and fast.
“In either way, we must continue to allow minimal humanitarian access,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The image of weakened children has fanned criticism of Israel by allies seeking an end to the war. Israel is limiting aid to Gaza’s population of more than 2 million people as Hamas says it sucks up and rules without providing evidence. Much of the population is constantly narrowed down to small patches of land and is now dependent on aid.
As the military warned, combat operations continued otherwise. Gaza health officials said the Israeli strike killed at least 41 Palestinians from Saturday to Sunday, including 26 aid.
Some people are not assisted by others
“My kids haven’t tasted flour for me for more than a week, so I got flour for them. Thank God. God gave me rice with difficulty,” Sabreen Hasona said as other Palestinians ran up along the dusty path carrying bags of food from the Jikim intersection.
But the assistance came slowly for others. “We saw the plane and didn’t know what they had dropped,” Samila Yahiya said in Zawaida, central Gaza. “They said the truck was passing by, but they couldn’t see it.”
Some people are afraid that they will go outside and fall on their children with aid boxes, Ahmed al-Sameiri said.
“All delays are measured by another funeral.”
Israeli military said 28 aid packages, including food, will be put into the air and safe routes will be introduced for aid supply. It said measures were taken in cooperation with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups.
The UN World Food Programme said there is enough food to feed everything in Gaza for nearly three months, or there is enough food along the way. Nearly half a million people say they are enduring hunger-like situations.
Antoine Leonard, country director of WFP’s occupied Palestinian territory, said about 80 WFP trucks had entered Gaza, and over 130 more trucks arrived via Jordan, Ashdod and Egypt. He said other aids were passing through the intersection of Kelem Shalom and Jikim.
He emphasized that fighting “now star” is not enough.
According to the World Health Organization, Gaza saw 63 malnutrition-related deaths in July.
Dr. Munir Al Burss, director of the Gaza Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies to treat child malnutrition.
“This (humanitarian) ceasefire means nothing if it doesn’t turn into a real life-saving opportunity,” he said. “All delays are measured by another funeral.”
Questions about ceasefire
The efforts to make a ceasefire seem suspicious. Israel and the US recalled the negotiation team from Qatar on Thursday and criticised Hamas, saying it was considering discussing “alternative options.”
Israel says that once Hamas surrenders, disarms and enters exile, it is ready to end the war. Khalil al-Haiya, head of Hamas’ negotiation delegation, said the group had “the greatest flexibility.”
Hamas official Mahmoud Meldawi said that changing Israel’s approach to humanitarian crisis amounts to recognition of Gaza-hungered Palestinians, arguing that it was intended to improve Israel’s international status and not save lives.
Problems of providing assistance
After ending its latest ceasefire in March, Israel has been aiming for 25 months to cut off the invasion of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies into Gaza, and pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of these remained in Gaza, with more than half of them believed to have died.
Under international pressure, Israel eased the lockdown a bit in May. Since then, an average of 69 trucks per day has been far below the 500-600 trucks needed by the UN. The UN says it couldn’t distribute much aid as hungry crowds and gangs are taking most of the trucks.
To divert the distribution of aid from UN control, Israel supported the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which opened four distribution centers. The UN Human Rights Office has been killed by Israeli forces while more than 1,000 Palestinians have been trying to get food since May.
Israel claims that the UN system will allow Hamas to steal aid. The United Nations deny that.
“Gaza is not a remote island. There is infrastructure and resources to prevent starvation. It requires safe and sustainable access,” Mercy Corps’ vice president of global policy and advocacy, said in a statement.
He was killed while seeking assistance
AWDA hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and one woman, and were injured towards a GHF aid distribution site in central Gaza.
Israeli forces said they fired warning shots before opening hours to prevent them from approaching hundreds of meters from the site. GHF said there were no incidents on or near the site.
Hospital officials and doctors said 13 people were killed in seeking assistance elsewhere, including Northwest Gaza City, where more than 50 people were injured, including Northwest Gaza City, where more than 50 people were injured.
Israeli forces said two soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since October 7, 2023. Hamas caused a war. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians in the attack, and took 251 hostages.
Israeli retaliatory attacks have killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The count does not distinguish between extremists and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the deaths are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organizations consider it the most reliable source of data on victims.
President Donald Trump on Sunday called the image of debilitated, malnourished children in Gaza “awful.”
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Goldenberg reported from Maggidi from Tel Aviv, Israel and Cairo. Associated Press Writer Seung Min Kim from Turnberry in Scotland contributed.
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Follow AP war reports at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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