Israel to commence aid airdrops in Gaza

Israel's military announced that airdrops of aid would begin Saturday night in Gaza, and humanitarian corridors will be established for United Nations convoys, after increasing accounts of starvation-related deaths.

- 

The statement late Saturday followed months of experts' warnings of famine amid Israeli restrictions on aid. International criticism, including by close allies, has grown as hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while trying to reach food distribution sites.

The military statement did not say where the airdrops or humanitarian corridors would be. It also said the military is prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas. Israel's foreign ministry said late Saturday the humanitarian pauses would start Sunday in "civilian centers" along with humanitarian corridors.

The military "emphasizes that combat operations have not ceased" in Gaza against Hamas, and it asserted there is "no starvation" in the territory, where most of the population of over two million has been displaced into a shrinking area with little infrastructure. The majority of people rely on aid.

Later, the Israeli military released video footage of what it said were airdrops in coordination with international organizations and led by COGAT, the Israeli defense agency in charge of aid coordination in the Palestinian territory. It said the drop included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food.