Monday, 25 May 2026
Israel implements daily pauses in Gaza offensive as aid airdrops commence
JERUSALEM/GAZA – On Sunday, Israel announced a daily 10-hour suspension of military operations in select areas of Gaza and established new humanitarian corridors, as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates began airdropping vital supplies to the besieged enclave. Images of starving Palestinians have prompted a global outcry, according to Reuters.
The Israeli government has faced increasing international scrutiny over the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza, criticism which officials have dismissed. Meanwhile, indirect ceasefire negotiations in Doha between Israel and Hamas have collapsed with no resolution in sight.
During a visit to Scotland, U.S. President Donald Trump noted that Israel would need to determine its next course of action in Gaza but expressed uncertainty about what comes after the stalled talks over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel's military stated operations would pause from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0700–1700 GMT) each day until further notice in Al-Mawasi—a designated humanitarian zone along the coast—in central Deir al-Balah, and in Gaza City to the north. Secure routes for aid convoys delivering food and medicine will also be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. beginning Sunday.
United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said relief efforts would be intensified during these ceasefires.
"Our crews on the ground will do everything possible to reach as many starving individuals as we can during these windows," Fletcher posted on X.
In their first airdrop in months, Jordan and the UAE delivered 25 tons of aid to Gaza on Sunday, a Jordanian official said, emphasizing that airdrops are no substitute for overland deliveries.
Palestinian health authorities in Gaza City reported that at least 10 people were injured by falling aid parcels.
The Israeli military also announced work would soon begin on a UAE-backed pipeline project to supply water from an Egyptian desalination plant to approximately 600,000 people along Gaza’s coast.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, dozens of residents have died from malnutrition in recent weeks. The ministry reported six additional deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths attributed to malnutrition and hunger since the 2023 escalation to 133, including 87 children.
On Saturday, five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb died from malnutrition at Nasser Hospital, health workers said.
"Three months inside the hospital and this is all I have—she died," her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, lamented as the baby's father cradled their daughter's body, wrapped in a white shroud.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said it dispatched more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food to southern Gaza on Sunday. Some trucks were reportedly looted in the Khan Younis area after entry, residents said.
While many Gazans welcomed Sunday's announcement, they stressed the need for a complete cessation of hostilities.
"People are relieved that large quantities of food aid will finally arrive," said business owner Tamer Al-Burai. "We hope today marks a turning point towards ending this devastating war."