The Israeli army declared on Sunday that, in order to enable aid delivery, it will institute a daily “tactical pause of military activity” in a portion of the southern Gaza Strip throughout the day.
A temporary, tactical pause of military operations for humanitarian reasons will occur every day from 8:00 to 19:00 until further notice along the route that goes from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din route and subsequently northwards, according to a statement released by the army.
It stated that the decision was made in response to talks with the UN and other organizations in an effort to “increase the volumes of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip.”
While humanitarian organizations have been warning for months about a severe shortage of food and other necessities in the beleaguered Palestinian region, Israel has long defended its efforts to allow assistance delivery, notably through the Kerem Shalom gate.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 8,000 children under the age of five in Gaza have received treatment for acute malnutrition.
International mediators have been putting pressure on Israel and Hamas to accept a cease-fire agreement proposed by US President Joe Biden in order to facilitate the return of hostages and expand relief supplies, but the negotiations have recently come to a standstill.
It is now “nearly impossible to deliver the level of aid that meets the growing demands on the ground,” according to Carl Skau, deputy executive director of World Food Programme, who previously stated that “with lawlessness inside the Strip and active conflict.”
