The move comes amid growing international outrage over mass starvation in the besieged territory and its genocidal acts in the 22-month war on Gaza.
The Israeli military also announced it had begun airdropping food into the enclave.
In a statement, the army said the decision was coordinated with the UN and other international organizations to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip."
There was no immediate response from the UN or non-governmental aid agencies operating in Gaza. Privately, some aid workers expressed scepticism, telling Agence France-Presse (AFP) they would wait to see the results on the ground.
Limited pause, ongoing attacks
The pause is restricted to areas where Israeli forces “are not currently active”—including Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City—and will last from 10:00am to 8:00pm daily.
Israel said “designated secure routes” would remain open across the Strip to allow UN and NGO convoys to deliver food and medicine. However, the occupation stressed that operations against Hamas would continue elsewhere. Hours before the pause took effect, Gaza’s health authorities reported that separate Israeli strikes killed 16 Palestinians.
Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, Director General of Gaza’s Health Ministry, told the Associated Press (AP) he welcomed any humanitarian window but warned: “This truce will mean nothing if it doesn’t turn into a real opportunity to save lives.” He called for an immediate influx of medical supplies and nutrition for children suffering from acute malnutrition. “Every delay is measured by another funeral,” he said.
The pause comes days after hopes for a ceasefire faded, as the United States and Israel abruptly pulled out of the latest round of negotiations with Hamas, despite the group’s stated willingness to continue talks. The move drew sharp criticism from international aid groups and regional governments, who urged renewed diplomatic pressure to halt the war and end the starvation campaign.
Starvation crisis and global backlash
For four months, food security experts and aid agencies have warned that famine is imminent in Gaza. Israel has severely restricted aid access, citing concerns that Hamas diverts supplies—a claim it has not substantiated.
Recent images of emaciated children have intensified global criticism, including from Israel’s closest allies, with repeated calls for a ceasefire and a lifting of the blockade.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi told AP that Israel’s announcement was an implicit admission that Palestinians were starving and that this move is intended to improve its international image, not to save lives. “Israel will not escape punishment and will inevitably pay the price for these criminal practices,” he stated.
Weeks ahead of unilaterally ending a two-month ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, on 18 March, Israel blocked the entry of food, medicine, and fuel into Gaza. Under international pressure, some restrictions were eased in May, but only limited quantities of aid have been able to enter the Strip.
The GHF massacres
In May, Israel backed the creation of the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to bypass the UN system. The foundation opened four aid distribution centres, near which more than 1,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach food, according to the UN human rights office.
Israel has repeatedly accused the UN of enabling Hamas to steal aid, a charge the UN strongly denies. UN officials maintain that their mechanism is the most effective and transparent method for delivering relief.
With much of Gaza’s population now crammed into ever-shrinking zones of displacement, aid has become a matter of survival.
Egyptian aid and regional efforts
On Sunday, Egyptian aid trucks carrying large quantities of food, flour, and materials for infrastructure rehabilitation began moving from the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing toward Karm Abu Salem, in preparation for entry into Gaza, according to Al-Qahera News.
Egypt reiterated that Israel, as the occupying power, bears full responsibility for the humanitarian crisis and must allow unimpeded aid delivery. Any obstruction, Cairo said, constitutes a violation of international law and must be met with accountability.
Before Israel’s latest airdrop announcement, the UAE had declared its intention to resume airborne aid deliveries. Britain said it would coordinate with Jordan and others to support airdrop operations.
On Saturday alone, over 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, including several near aid distribution points, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence agency.
"We ask God and our Arab brothers to work harder to reach a ceasefire before we all die," Gaza resident Hossam Sobh told AFP, recounting how he had risked death to retrieve a bag of flour near an Israeli tank.
Humanitarian gimmick or lifeline?
Also on Saturday, Israeli naval forces boarded the Handala boat, belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had attempted to break the maritime blockade and deliver aid to Gaza by sea.
Over 100 international NGOs this week warned that mass starvation is spreading rapidly across the Strip. The Israeli military, meanwhile, announced via Telegram that it had conducted an airdrop of humanitarian aid “as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate entry of supplies.”
But humanitarian officials remain unconvinced.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned that such measures are insufficient.
“Airdrops are expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians,” Lazzarini wrote on X. He called the crisis “manmade,” stressing that only the lifting of the siege and safe, dignified land access can halt the wave of famine.
Still, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed support for the strategy, saying Britain would work with Jordan to resume air drops. The UAE also vowed to act “immediately.”
In 2024, both Arab and Western governments carried out air drops when land access was blocked, but many in the humanitarian field argue they are insufficient and symbolic at best.
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