Amid growing international outrage over starvation deaths in Gaza, Israel’s military has announced a limited “humanitarian pause” to facilitate aid delivery in densely populated areas of the enclave. The move, which includes renewed aid airdrops and promises of safer land convoys, comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, with starvation-related deaths nearly doubling in the past month to 127.
The Israeli military said it would allow United Nations convoys greater access and resume air-dropped aid, while fighting would continue elsewhere in the territory. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the changes aim to bring food closer to where civilians live. He confirmed that Israeli and foreign air forces had begun dropping aid in northern Gaza, with more deliveries expected.
These developments follow an agreement between Israel and countries including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, permitting them to parachute aid into Gaza. Shoshani added that Israeli troops would implement short “tactical pauses” in some areas to ensure that aid trucks are not hit during military operations.
The measures come in response to mounting criticism over Israel’s handling of aid in Gaza. Hunger intensified between March and May after Israel halted food shipments and introduced a controversial new distribution system. This model required civilians to cross Israeli-controlled areas on foot to reach a handful of aid points managed by private contractors.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that hundreds were killed while attempting to access these supplies, many by Israeli gunfire. Israeli officials say shots were fired in the air when crowds approached troops or posed a perceived threat.
Despite the mounting death toll and warnings from aid organisations, Israel has resisted calls for a broader change in policy. The United Nations World Food Programme recently warned that nearly a third of Gaza’s population is going multiple days without food. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as “a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience”, while the International Committee of the Red Cross said conditions had “long exceeded every acceptable standard”.
Israel insists it is not responsible for the famine-like conditions. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, described accusations of using starvation as a weapon as “lies” and part of an “unprecedented vilification of Israel”. Government spokesperson David Mencer echoed the sentiment, blaming Hamas and logistical failures by the UN rather than Israeli policies.
However, other Israeli officials have lent weight to international criticism. Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, a far-right member of the government, said in a radio interview that “there is no nation that feeds its enemies”, adding that the government was moving towards “Gaza being wiped out” and “driving out the population”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later disavowed the remarks, but Eliyahu remains in office.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also condemned the humanitarian pause, calling it a “surrender to Hamas”. He claimed he had been excluded from key security discussions, and advocated for halting aid, conquering the entire Gaza Strip and promoting “voluntary migration”.
A key justification for Israel’s severe restrictions has been its long-standing claim that Hamas steals aid. Yet according to two senior Israeli military officials and two others involved in aid coordination, there is no evidence that Hamas systematically diverted UN aid. In fact, the previous UN-led system was said to be more effective in distributing food to civilians than the current approach, which has proved more dangerous.
In May, Israel began phasing out the UN-led delivery model in favour of a private, US-run operation protected by American security contractors and limited to areas under Israeli control. While some UN aid still enters Gaza, this new system has resulted in significantly higher casualties among civilians trying to collect food.
Aid groups have strongly criticised the recent airdrops, calling them inefficient and hazardous. Several past drops have injured people, destroyed property or fallen into the sea. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, called the drops “a distraction”, arguing they will do little to ease suffering unless Israel lifts its blockade and facilitates consistent land access for humanitarian groups.
As famine looms, over 100 aid agencies and human rights organisations have urged Israel to lift its restrictions. A joint statement by the European Union and 28 governments, including allies such as Britain, France and Canada, condemned Israel’s “drip-feeding” of aid to Gaza’s two million residents.
Meanwhile, pressure is also building within Israel. On Saturday, families of hostages held in Gaza staged anti-war protests, criticising Netanyahu’s failure to secure their release. Ceasefire negotiations collapsed this week, with both Israel and the United States blaming Hamas.
Despite announcing the humanitarian pause, Israel provided no clear timeline or operational details for its implementation. Aid agencies remain sceptical, warning that without a fundamental policy shift, humanitarian access will remain fragmented and insufficient.
“The starvation of a population cannot be justified by military necessity,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “This is not just a humanitarian failure. It is a moral collapse.”
