Israel announces 'tactical pause' in Gaza fighting after outrage over starving Palestinians

Israel announced Sunday it was pausing fighting in some areas of the Gaza Strip to facilitate aid delivery after international outrage swelled in recent days over surging deaths by malnutrition and widespread starvation caused by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid

Israel announced Sunday it was pausing fighting in some areas of the Gaza Strip to facilitate aid delivery after international outrage swelled in recent days over surging deaths by malnutrition and widespread starvation caused by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The announcement issued by the Israel Defense Forces said it would be implementing “humanitarian corridors” for the safe movement of United Nations aid trucks and “humanitarian pauses” in some of Gaza’s most densely populated areas.

The military’s “tactical pause” will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the areas where the Israeli military is not operating: Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, the IDF said, and will continue daily “until further notice.”

Additional secure routes will be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. to enable the safe passage of aid trucks, the IDF said, adding it is “prepared to expand the scale of this activity as required.”

Palestinians collect sacks of flour after an aid convoy arrived in northern Gaza on Saturday.Jehad Alshrafi / APTrucks began moving into Gaza from Egypt after Israel’s announcement, with the Egyptian Red Crescent saying the convoy included over 100 aid trucks containing more than 1,200 tons of food.