Israel Announces Humanitarian Pauses to Allow Aid Into Gaza

Israel said on Sunday it would pause military operations for 10 hours a day in certain parts of the Gaza Strip to let more humanitarian aid reach Palestinians and restore power to a key water treatment plant.

The Details: Under the new directive, military operations will cease from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. indefinitely in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area, central Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City. Israel also said designated routes for aid convoys will be in place from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Aid Deliveries: Jordan and the United Arab Emirates dropped 25 tons of aid into Gaza as of Sunday evening local time, according to Reuters (Center bias). The Egyptian Red Crescent said it would send more than 1,200 tons of food to southern Gaza on Sunday. Palestinian health officials said at least 10 were injured by falling aid boxes. 

For Context: According to the World Health Organization, 63 Gazans have died of malnutrition so far in July. Earlier this week, France said it would recognize Palestine as a state.

Key Quotes: A press release from the Israeli military on Saturday read, “In accordance with directives from the political echelon and following a situational assessment held this evening, the IDF has begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, and to refute the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip.” Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, Gaza’s Health Ministry director-general, called for medical supplies to be delivered as well and said, “This truce will mean nothing if it doesn’t turn into a real opportunity to save lives. Every delay is measured by another funeral.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies.”

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered Israel’s announcement on Saturday, though outlets from the right generally didn’t offer as many updates on Sunday, whereas several mainstream outlets from the left and center continually updated reporting. Associated Press (Left) noted Israel said the aid allowed would be “minimal” in its headline. Reuters prominently framed the news as coming amidst “images of starving Palestinians [that] have alarmed the world.”

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