Israel to Begin 10-Hour Military Pause in Parts of Gaza for Aid Deliveries

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1011 EAT on Monday 28 July 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly denied accusations that Israel is conducting a campaign of starvation in Gaza, calling the allegation “a bold-faced lie.”

“There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza,” Netanyahu told a Christian conference in Jerusalem on Sunday.

He claimed that Israel has “enabled the amount [of aid] required by international law to come in,” and accused Hamas of seizing the aid and blaming Israel for shortages. “Hamas steals this humanitarian aid and then accuses Israel of not supplying it,” he said.

However, the United Nations and several international humanitarian organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), dispute Israel’s claims. They say Israel is obstructing aid deliveries through excessive bureaucracy and continued military operations, contributing to widespread food shortages and growing malnutrition across the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has denied allegations of stealing aid. A recent internal report from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) found no evidence of systematic looting of U.S.-funded supplies by Hamas.

UN Welcomes Israeli Aid Measures, But Warns They Fall Short of What Gaza Needs

UN agencies including the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have welcomed Israel’s latest steps to improve humanitarian access to Gaza, but cautioned that the measures are not sufficient to address the full scale of the crisis.

The WFP expressed hope that the new steps “will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays.”

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher also acknowledged the progress:

“We welcome Israel’s decision to support a one-week scale-up of aid, including lifting customs barriers on food, medicine and fuel from Egypt and the reported designation of secure routes for UN humanitarian convoys.”

However, Fletcher warned that while some movement restrictions appear to have eased, “vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis.” He also stressed the need for “sustained action,” calling for quicker and more predictable clearance procedures for humanitarian convoys entering Gaza.

Israel Resumes Gaza Aid Airdrops Amid Pressure Over Malnutrition Crisis

Israel allowed the resumption of humanitarian airdrops into Gaza over the weekend, responding to mounting international pressure over worsening malnutrition in the territory.

Aid was parachuted in by Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. Jordan and the UAE delivered a combined total of 25 tonnes of aid. However, a Jordanian official told Reuters the drops are no substitute for overland deliveries — a point echoed by the United Nations and international aid agencies.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned that while airdrops may grab headlines, they are “expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians” if miscalculated. He urged Israel to allow more aid deliveries by truck, which remain the most effective way to meet the scale of need in Gaza.

Starmer to Convene Emergency Cabinet Meeting on Gaza Amid Pressure to Recognise Palestinian State

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will convene a rare summer cabinet meeting this week to discuss the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and explore further efforts to push for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

Although Parliament is in recess, Starmer has recalled his cabinet ministers to Westminster to assess the UK’s response to the crisis and consider additional humanitarian measures.

The move comes as the prime minister faces growing pressure from within his own party, including from Labour MPs holding government roles, to follow France’s lead in formally recognising a Palestinian state.

Starmer has previously said the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood “at a time when it will make the biggest impact” as part of a broader peace process — a position he has so far maintained despite calls for more immediate action.

IDF Announces Daily 10-Hour Military Pauses in Gaza to Facilitate Aid Deliveries

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Sunday that it will implement daily 10-hour pauses in military operations across parts of Gaza “to improve the humanitarian response.”

Under the new arrangement, military activity is scheduled to halt each day from 10:00 to 20:00 local time (08:00 to 18:00 BST) in three key populated areas: the El-Mawasi zone, central Deir al-Balah, and northern Gaza City.

The aim is to allow the United Nations and other humanitarian organisations to deliver urgently needed food, medicine, and other aid “until further notice.”

Despite the temporary pauses, the IDF said it would continue its broader military campaign:

“The IDF will continue to support humanitarian efforts alongside ongoing manoeuvring and offensive operations against terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip, in order to protect Israeli civilians.”

Israel Set to Begin New 10-Hour Pause in Gaza as Global Pressure Mounts Over Hunger Crisis

Israel’s military is expected to begin another 10-hour pause in operations across parts of Gaza this morning, starting at 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT), to allow more desperately needed humanitarian aid into the territory.

The policy shift, announced yesterday, includes the establishment of new secure routes for aid convoys — a move that comes amid growing international outrage over what the United Nations has described as man-made, mass starvation.

Disturbing images of emaciated children and crowds scrambling for food handouts have intensified global alarm about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher acknowledged that some restrictions on movement have eased since Israel agreed to a one-week scale-up in humanitarian deliveries. However, he warned that this must now become “sustained, vast and fast,” urging Israel to accelerate its approval process for lorries collecting aid from border crossings.

On Sunday, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates conducted their first aid airdrops into Gaza in several months. Yet one Jordanian official stressed that airdrops are no substitute for consistent land-based deliveries — a point echoed by UN agencies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back strongly against accusations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war — a charge that, if proven, would constitute a war crime under international law. Calling the claim an “egregious falsehood,” Netanyahu said the UN now has “no excuses left” not to deliver aid.

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