The IDF spokesman announced Sunday morning that the military will hold a daily "tactical-humanitarian pause" in military activity in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, every day from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. until further notice in order to increase the scope of humanitarian aid that enters the Gaza Strip.
The purpose of the truce is to allow aid trucks to reach the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main point from which aid enters the Gaza Strip, and travel safely to the Salah al-Din highway, a main road that runs from north to south, to deliver supplies to other areas of the Gaza Strip.
"As part of the IDF's efforts to increase the scope of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip and after discussions with the UN and international organizations, it was decided that starting yesterday and on a daily basis, military activity will be suspended between the specified hours on the road from Kerem Shalom to Saleh al-Din Street and hen northward toward the Khan Younis area."
As part of the IDF's ongoing efforts to increase the scope of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, and after discussions with the United Nations and international organizations, it was decided that starting yesterday and until further notice between the hours of eight in the morning and seven in the evening, tactical and local military activity for humanitarian purposes will be suspended on the road from Kerem Shalom to the Salah al-Din Road and then northward," IDF Arabic-language spokesman, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, announced.
"This is an additional step in the humanitarian aid efforts that have been conducted by the IDF and COGAT since the beginning of the war," according to the IDF. "The IDF will continue to support humanitarian efforts on the ground."
When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heard the reports about a humanitarian pause for 11 hours a day in the Rafah area, he contacted his military secretary and made it clear that this was "unacceptable" to him, a political official told Ynet. "After an inquiry, the prime minister was informed that there is no change in IDF policy and that the fighting in Rafah continues as planned," the source said. In practice, there will be a pause in the form of humanitarian aid delivery in the area specified in the IDF spokesman's announcement this morning.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant did not know in advance and did not approve the decision to hold a daily "tactical-humanitarian" pause in the Rafah area.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked the decision, saying that "whoever decided on a 'tactical pause' for the purpose of a humanitarian operation, especially at a time when the best of our soldiers are falling In battle, is evil and a fool who should not continue to be in his position." Ben-Gvir added: "Unfortunately, this move was not brought before the cabinet and it is contrary to its decisions. It's time to stop the crazy and delusional approach that only brings us more dead and fallen."
The IDF hastened to clarify that "there is no cessation of hostilities in the southern Gaza Strip, and the hostilities in Rafah continue." It was also reported that: "There is no change in the introduction of goods into the Strip. The crossing carrying the goods will be open during the day in coordination with international organizations for the transportation of humanitarian aid only."
In practice, the forces of Division 162 are stationed during the truce hours on the attack lines to allow the movement of the aid. This means that they will not launch an attack on new targets when the aid is moved through the area, unless unusual events occur. From the point of view of the IDF, the tactical cease-fire is only in the areas specified in the announcement, and the forces will still operate against terrorists, both aboveground and underground.
The announcement by the IDF comes against the backdrop of recent claims by the international community that Israel effectively prevents the passage of humanitarian aid, and following the bottleneck of trucks that has been created at the Kerem Shalom crossing since the IDF entered Rafah last month. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, between May 6 and June 6, the UN received 68 aid trucks per day, compared to 168 trucks in April.
The Office of the Coordinator of Government Operations in the Territories reported in a statement that there is no restrictions on the entry of trucks into Gaza, and that more than 8,600 trucks of all types, both aid and commercial, entered Gaza from all crossings between May 2 and June 13 - an average of 201 trucks per day.
However, some of the aid piled up at the Kerem Shalom crossing and did not reach its destination, and the Office of the Coordinator of Government Operations in the Territories blames the United Nations.
"Their agencies have basic logistical problems that they have not fixed, especially a lack of trucks," according to COGAT.
The UN, on the other hand, denies the claims and says that the fighting between Israel and Hamas endangers the trucks inside Gaza that go to the Kerem Shalom crossing, and that the pace of deliveries has slowed down because drivers who want to go to the crossing must get permission from the IDF, which is done for safety reasons. In some cases the aid trucks are looted by crowds due to a lack of security.
The pause announced by the IDF is designed to reduce the need to coordinate deliveries by providing a continuous window of 11 hours each day for trucks to move through the crossing and leave and in order to allow passage in an efficient manner. At the moment it is unclear whether the IDF will provide security to protect the aid trucks as they move along the highway.