Gaza: Israel will implement a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip beginning early Sunday until the evening, as reported by Israeli media late Saturday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli government announced a humanitarian pause from 10 a.m. on Sunday until the evening in several humanitarian centers across the Gaza Strip.
The broadcaster cited a senior unnamed official who mentioned that a meeting was held between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and top security officials. During this meeting, it was decided to initiate a "humanitarian pause" in Gaza. However, the source did not specify the exact hours during which the pause would end or the precise areas it would cover.
The Israeli army has also announced its intention to 'open humanitarian corridors' to facilitate UN and relief organizations' convoys, expressing a readiness for 'humanitarian pauses' in densely populated areas. Since May 27, Israel has launched a separate aid distribution initiative through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), bypassing the UN and international humanitarian agencies, a move that has been widely rejected by the global relief community. The GHF is supported by the US.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to open fire on Palestinians gathered near distribution centers, resulting in hundreds of fatalities. Gaza's hunger crisis has spiraled into a humanitarian catastrophe, with harrowing footage showing severely emaciated residents collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation.
Gaza's Health Ministry reported on Saturday that five more Palestinians, including two children, have died from hunger and malnutrition in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 127, including 85 children. On Tuesday, the World Food Program warned that one in every three people in Gaza had gone without food for several days due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued its offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing more than 59,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has led to food shortages and widespread destruction in the enclave.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.