Suspension began at 0700GMT and applies to 3 key areas, including Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City, according to Israeli army spokesman
A so-called “tactical and localized suspension of military operations” announced by Israel became effective on Sunday morning in select areas of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.
The suspension began at 10 am local time (0700GMT) in three key areas of Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City, covering parts of the central, southern, and northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army spokesman said, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Al-Mawasi is a stretch of sandy coastal territory running from southwest Deir al-Balah through western Khan Younis to western Rafah in southern Gaza. It has become a zone where many displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.
The announcement came hours after Israel’s Channel 12 reported that top Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, had agreed to a limited humanitarian pause. No exact timeframe was provided for the end of the suspension.
Since May 27, Israel has launched a separate aid distribution initiative through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), bypassing the UN and international humanitarian agencies. The move has been widely rejected by the global relief community. The GHF is supported by the US.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to open fire on Palestinians who gather near distribution centers, killing hundreds.
Gaza’s hunger crisis has spiraled into a humanitarian catastrophe. Harrowing footage shows severely emaciated residents, some reduced to skin and bone, collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 59,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
