OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:45 AM – Sunday, July 27, 2025
The Israeli military announced that it will begin a limited pause on Sunday in three populated areas in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to enter amid international criticism over the growing starvation crisis.
The limited pause in military activity within certain areas of Gaza is in contrast to the previous policy of blocking humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
“Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population,” stated Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in April. “No one is currently planning to allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and there are no preparations to enable such aid.”
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The new measure will pause IDF operations in Al Mawasi, Deir al Balah, and Gaza City, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to safely allow humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian people, according to the Israeli military.
“The local tactical suspension of military activities will cover areas where the Defense Army is not operating, namely Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City, and it will occur daily until further notice. The decision has been coordinated with the United Nations and international organizations following discussions on this matter,” IDF spokesperson Avichat Adraee wrote in a Saturday social media post.
“Secure corridors have also been established on a sustained basis from 6:00 AM until 11:00 PM, which will allow the safe movement of United Nations and international organization convoys to deliver and distribute food and medicine to the residents of the Gaza Strip,” he continued.
“The Defense Army will continue to support humanitarian efforts on the ground alongside continuing ground maneuvers and offensive operations against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to protect Israeli citizens. The Defense Army also remains prepared to expand the scope of the operation as needed.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added: “Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies.”
The Israeli military also began airdropping food parcels overnight, as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates stated that they have also dropped 25 tons of food and supplies across numerous locations.
Numerous humanitarian aid agencies, along with many nation states, have accused Israel of being responsible for the starvation crisis after announcing a total blockade on Gaza beginning on March 2, 2025, lasting for approximately 11 weeks.
Meanwhile, Israel has blamed the United Nations for the starvation crisis in Gaza, accusing the international organizations of failing to deliver hundreds of truckloads of aid into Gaza, while also allowing Hamas to intercept the aid and hoard it for themselves or reselling it at exorbitant prices.
Israel has also pointed to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private U.S.-backed entity, as a more effective organization for delivering aid, although the United Nations claims that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while attempting to get aid, mostly near GHF distribution sites.
At least 56 Palestinians have died this month of starvation in Gaza, according to data released on Sunday by the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas.
The GHF has denied that violence has occurred near distribution sites in Gaza; however, international journalists have largely been restricted from entering Gaza to report on the claims of violence at aid distribution sites. Israel has claimed that the restrictions are due to safety concerns.
The announcement followed after the Israeli government stated that two more Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since the war began on October 7, 2023.
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