Israel Begins Daily Pause in Fighting in Three Gaza Areas

Jordan and UAE airdrop 25 tons of food and supplies; at least 38 Palestinians killed in separate Israeli strikes since Saturday night

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The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of a series of steps that included multiple airdrops as concerns over surging hunger in the territory mount and Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war.

The military said it would begin a daily 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' entering the territory. The pause was running from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm local time and was to be repeated each day until further notice.

In a sign of how precarious the situation remained for people in Gaza, shortly after the pause began, Gaza health officials said an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in Gaza City killed a woman and her four children. A second strike killed four people, including a young boy, his mother and his grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighbourhood, health officials said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on either strike.