As UN agencies have halted deliveries from a US-built pier, the Israeli army has announced that it will implement a limited daily “tactical pause” along one of the main roadways in the Gaza Strip to facilitate the transfer of more humanitarian aid.
But the Israel Defence Forces clarified that there was no “cessation of hostilities in the southern Gaza Strip” as a result of the delay.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the IDF’s disclosure on Saturday that three other soldiers had died, increasing the total to eleven. Of those killed, eight were in an attack on an armoured personnel carrier near the southern city of Rafah.
Declared as Muslims worldwide began the significant religious celebration of Eid al-Adha, the tactical pause comes as attention is once again drawn to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza following eight months of conflict.
The brief stoppage came after negotiations with Egypt and US pressure to expand the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza.
The IDF claimed that the halt would take place daily until further notice and would start in the Rafah area at 8 a.m. and last until 7 p.m. along the main Salah al-Din road to allow relief vehicles to pass via the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel.
It stated that the UN and foreign humanitarian organisations were being consulted in order to arrange the stop.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right minister of national security, denounced the decision right away.
“It is a fool and an imbecile who should not be allowed to stay in office—the person who decided on a ‘tactical pause,’ especially for the delivery of humanitarian aid while the best of our soldiers are dying in battle,” the commander declared.
Since Israeli ground forces entered Rafah in early May, there has been a backlog at the crossing.
The Israeli soldiers’ deaths coincide with growing evidence that Hamas fighters in Gaza are prioritising insurgency methods above direct confrontations with Israeli troops. In addition to using strong improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades for hit-and-run operations, fighters have also mined structures with explosives.
The Israeli military has suffered some of its worst losses since it started its ground onslaught in Gaza on October 27. This is expected to intensify calls for a ceasefire and increase public indignation in Israel over ultra-Orthodox military exemptions.
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding a cease-fire and kicking off what they said would be a week-long protest against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Israeli attacks in Gaza on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians. Since the start of the Israeli onslaught on the area, at least 37,296 people have died, and tens of thousands more are thought to be injured and buried beneath the debris.
Due to Israel’s eight-month military campaign against Hamas, hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the verge of starvation and there is widespread hunger, according to the UN, as Israel has cut off water supplies and hindered the delivery of relief. Israel has been pushed by the international community to accept additional help.
According to data from the UN humanitarian agency, or OCHA, the UN received an average of 68 trucks of aid every day between May 6 and June 6. That was significantly less than the 500 trucks per day that relief organisations claim are required, and it was down from 168 trucks per day in April.
Aid to southern Gaza decreased as the need for humanitarian relief increased. Following the invasion, over a million Palestinians—many of whom had previously been displaced—left Rafah and crowded into other areas of central and southern Gaza. The majority live in dilapidated tent camps with open sewage in the streets and pits used as latrines.
According to Cogat, the Israeli military organisation in charge of distributing aid in Gaza, there are no limitations on vehicle access. It claims that between May 2 and June 13, almost 8,600 trucks of all types—commercial and humanitarian—entered Gaza across all borders, or 201 every day on average. However, most of that aid has not yet arrived at its intended location and is piled up at the crossings.
It was not immediately apparent if the army would guard the relief vehicles as they travel along the route.
