Large-scale aid supplies have arrived in the Gaza Strip for the first time in months, where hunger is rampant. Israel has announced “tactical pauses in fighting” in various parts of the enclave to allow aid to be delivered. Nevertheless, there are reports of attacks.
Around ten trucks entered northern Gaza on Sunday around noon with bags of flour. According to Al Jazeera, some trucks were looted by hungry Palestinians. As a result, the trucks did not reach Gaza City, where most of those in need are located.
In the south, a convoy of one hundred trucks is said to have entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. Sources in the Palestinian territory reported this to international news agencies on Sunday afternoon. It is still unclear whether the aid supplies have already reached the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli army announced a “tactical pause in military activity” in parts of Gaza “for humanitarian purposes.” The pause is valid until further notice daily between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM local time in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City. Humanitarian corridors have also been designated between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM to make it possible for the United Nations (UN) and aid organizations to deliver food and medicine to the population of Gaza.
Despite the announced pauses in fighting, there are reports of Israeli attacks in Gaza. Al Jazeera reports, based on local authorities, that 54 people were killed on Sunday at the beginning of the morning. Some of them were killed in attacks that took place after 10:00 AM.
Pauses are not enough to combat famine, according to aid organizations
Ten people were also reportedly injured in airdrops carried out by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. According to Jordan, 25 tons of aid were delivered to Gaza in this way. Airdrops are seen by experts and organizations as an ineffective way to alleviate the misery in Gaza.
Aid organizations such as Oxfam emphasized on Sunday that the airdrops and trucks that are allowed in are not enough to combat the famine in Gaza. “All border crossings must be opened immediately for full and safe aid throughout Gaza, and there must be a permanent ceasefire. Anything less is just a tactical gesture,” says Oxfam.
Israel denies that there is a famine in Gaza, while it is growing because Israel did not allow aid supplies for weeks. In addition, Palestinians are only allowed to stay in a very small area. More than a hundred aid organizations sounded the alarm this week about the famine in the area.