Israel says it has paused some military activity in Gaza as anger grows over hunger

By Aaron Boxerman

Israel said it had paused military activity in parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday to allow in international aid, amid growing outrage over the severe hunger faced by Palestinians in the territory.

The decision was a sharp reversal by Israel and followed growing international pressure over the dire conditions in Gaza, where nearly 1 in 3 people has not been eating “for multiple days in a row,” the U.N. World Food Program says.

As part of the measures announced Sunday, Israeli forces will pause operations in at least three parts of Gaza from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to allow aid to flow in, the Israeli military said in a statement. They will also designate permanent routes for U.N. convoys to deliver aid, it added.

The announcement came as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates began parachuting aid into Gaza in coordination with Israel, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry and Jordanian state media. Israel said Friday that it would allow foreign countries to do so.

It was unclear whether the policy change would allow enough aid to reach hungry Palestinians. Israel has announced similar tactical pauses in the past with mixed results.

Aid agencies and many countries, including some traditional allies, say Israel is responsible for the situation after first blocking and then restricting aid deliveries to Gaza for months.

Six Palestinians died of malnutrition-related causes over the past day, including two children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. More than 50 Palestinians have died this month from starvation, the ministry said, and medical workers are themselves increasingly struggling to find food.

Israel has also continued military operations. At least 13 people were killed Sunday by Israeli forces in central Gaza near an aid distribution point, according to Al Awda hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.