In the context of the widespread hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip, large shipments of aid arrived on Sunday for the first time in months in the besieged and threatened coastal area.
A convoy of about 100 trucks with aid for the suffering population entered the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, according to sources in the Palestinian territory.
A few hours earlier, the Israeli army announced that it would continue to implement a daily self-proclaimed “tactical pause in military activities for humanitarian purposes” in parts of the Gaza Strip from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice.
The pause applies to al-Mawasi in the south-west of the coastal belt, Deir al-Balah in the center and Gaza City in the north – areas where the Israeli army, it says, “does not operate”.
Although Israel designated al-Mawasi as a “humanitarian zone” earlier in the war, the army repeatedly attacked the area, killing many people.
Deir al-Balah is home to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s central warehouse, which the WHO says was damaged when Israeli ground troops first entered the area.
In addition, humanitarian corridors will be in place from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to allow the UN and aid agencies to deliver food and medicine to the Gaza population, the military said.
Israel’s actions come in response to growing international criticism of its military operations in the Palestinian territory.
Since Israel broke the ceasefire in March, only limited aid has reached the area.
The World Health Organization recently warned of a deadly hunger crisis among the estimated 2 million people living in the Gaza Strip.
Israel says there is no hunger crisis in Gaza and that it is a “campaign” by the Islamist group Hamas.
125 people have died of malnutrition in Gaza, including 85 children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Photo: archive
