Israel opens routes for food aid

ISRAEL declared a “tactical pause” in fighting in parts of Gaza yesterday and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.

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The military also said it had begun airdropping food into the territory and angrily rejected allegations it was using starvation as a weapon against Palestinian civilians.

In a statement, the army said it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to “increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip”.

The Oxfam aid agency’s regional policy chief, Bushra Khalidi, described the Israeli decision as a “welcome first step” but warned it could yet prove insufficient to resolve the crisis.

“Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops. What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open, and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza,’ she said.

“We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege, and clear guarantees that this isn’t just a temporary gesture. Right now, it’s unclear how this will actually materialise on the ground”

In the Tel al-Hawa district of Gaza City, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said she hoped aid trucks would now be able to reach her family’s tent encampment.

“My life’s wish has become to eat a loaf of bread and to be able to provide bread for my children to eat,” she said, complaining her husband comes back daily from fruitless trips to aid distribution points.