- The Israeli military says it will halt its activities in the enclave from 8am to 7pm daily to allow the entry of humanitarian aid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised his Army’s decision to make “tactical pauses” every day in their operations in Gaza to facilitate aid delivery into the enclave.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have announced their decision to halt operations along one of the main roads in Gaza for a short period every day.
Specifically, the Israeli Army says it will not operate from 8am to 7pm in the area from the Kerem Shalom border crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards.
This decision caused a strong reaction from the Israeli prime minister, who labelled it “unacceptable.”
The idea of a daily tactical pause has also been strongly criticised by other members of politics in Israel, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir saying that whoever made the decision is a “fool.”
It comes amidst growing tensions between the Israeli government and international organisations over the issue of humanitarian aid into Gaza, with experts warning that a crisis is looming in the area.
Humanitarian organisations have continually expressed grave concern that not enough aid is entering Gaza. Source: ABACA / Middle East Images
The key quote: “When the prime minister heard the reports of an 11-hour humanitarian pause in the morning, he turned to his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him,” an Israeli official said.
What else to know: Centrist Lieutenant General Benny Gantz resigned from Netanyahu’s war cabinet last week, accusing the Prime Minister of operating with no real plans in Gaza.
It underlined the mounting pressure on the Israeli government to agree to a ceasefire in the region, both from within the country and outside.
@SBS