Despite Israel's decision to allow humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip—and with no progress reported in the ongoing hostage deal negotiations—residents of Gaza voiced deep frustration Sunday, claiming that aid has not reached them. “We received nothing—not from trucks and not from planes,” said a resident of Beit Lahia. Meanwhile, aid that entered from Jordan was reportedly being resold at exorbitant prices in local markets. Meat packages were being sold for 200 shekels each, and okra for 150 shekels.
A father of six described walking four kilometers in search of food.
“The suffering is unbearable,” he said. “I left home not knowing if I would return or if I would find flour.” Another resident said he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for nearly 12 hours. “Two planes carrying aid flew overhead, and we didn’t get anything,” he said. “The airdrop landed about three kilometers away from where people had gathered—we received nothing. It’s a very difficult situation. These planes are insulting. We are a people who deserve dignity.”
Jordanian and Emirati humanitarian aid drops in Gaza
Another resident said his children had lost significant weight due to the food shortage. “Hunger is killing us,” he said. “It’s been more than 15 days that I’ve been coming here, and I haven’t found any aid. Even when it was available, I got nothing. I’m not eating. I won’t survive like this. It’s a tragedy.” He added: “I haven’t even had a sip of water today. I left home with a dry throat—there’s no aid. I just want flour. We don’t care about the negotiations—we just want food and water to come through. Since 5 a.m., I’ve been dreaming about flour. It’s become a nightmare.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue Sunday evening during a Christian conference in Jerusalem, rejecting claims that Israel was deliberately starving Gaza.
“Israel is being portrayed as if we are running a starvation campaign in Gaza. What a vile lie—there is no starvation policy in Gaza and no famine in Gaza,” he said. “This is a battle we are fighting even now. We have allowed humanitarian aid to enter throughout the war—otherwise, there would be no Gazans left. What has prevented aid from entering is Hamas—again, a reversal of the truth. Hamas loots the humanitarian aid, then blames Israel for not supplying it.”
Amid significant international pressure, Israel has approved humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced the launch of “a series of operations to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip,” against the backdrop of a growing crisis and mounting allegations of famine. Under directives from the political leadership, the Israeli Air Force conducted its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza, delivering seven pallets of flour, sugar and canned food supplied by international organizations. While numerous countries have airdropped aid into the enclave, this marked the first time Israel itself had done so.
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In parallel, the IDF announced that, following a decision by the political echelon, the army—through the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and in coordination with the Israel Electric Corporation—connected the Kala power line to activate the southern desalination plant. The facility is expected to provide around 20,000 cubic meters of water per day, up from the 2,000 cubic meters supplied previously, aiming to serve some 900,000 residents.
Entry of aid trucks from Kerem Shalom
On Sunday morning, the IDF spokesperson stated that “in accordance with the directives of the political leadership and as part of the ongoing effort by the IDF and COGAT to increase the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, a localized tactical pause in military activity will begin daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for humanitarian purposes.”
The pause will apply in areas where the IDF is not operating—Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City—and will continue daily until further notice, according to the IDF. “The decision was coordinated with the United Nations and international organizations after discussions on the matter,” the IDF emphasized, amid harsh criticism from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the move.
Additionally, secure corridors have been designated daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to allow safe passage for UN and aid organization convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine throughout the Strip.
Last week, more than 250 aid trucks were unloaded, joining hundreds of others that remain at the border crossings awaiting collection by the UN and international organizations. Approximately 600 trucks have already been collected and distributed across Gaza. The IDF, through COGAT, will continue coordinating with aid organizations to facilitate the collection of the hundreds of aid trucks that remain unclaimed.