Occupation Claims to Drop Humanitarian Aid on "Humanitarian Ceasefire" Day

SadaNews - The Israeli occupation announced this morning, Sunday, that it has dropped humanitarian aid from the air in Gaza, following weeks of increasing international pressure to allow food and vital supplies to flow unrestricted into the region due to the worsening hunger crisis.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that it would implement a "humanitarian ceasefire" to allow for the distribution of aid, as it claims, in the Gaza Strip starting from this morning, Sunday. It added in a statement published on X platform early Sunday morning that the ceasefire would apply in "civilian centers and humanitarian corridors" in Gaza.

Israel, which has besieged the Gaza Strip since the onset of war on October 7, 2023, imposed a comprehensive blockade on the region in early March and only partially eased it in late May, leading to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods.

The Israeli occupation army claimed, in a statement issued late Saturday/Sunday via Telegram, that the airdrop operation "was carried out in coordination with international organizations and was led by COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories)", adding that it included "seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food".

The Palestinian Civil Defense reported on Saturday that 40 people were killed in Israeli bombing and gunfire.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry published on its website that a "humanitarian ceasefire" would be applied in certain parts of Gaza on Sunday morning to facilitate the delivery of aid.

The United Nations and non-governmental organizations warn of rising malnutrition rates among children and the risk of widespread famine among the population of the region, which exceeds two million people.

Israel announced that its navy intercepted the "Hanzala" vessel belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Alliance, which was sailing towards Gaza on Saturday, as also shown by a live broadcast from activists on board the ship.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated, "The ship is making its way safely to Israeli shores. All passengers are fine."

The "Hanzala" vessel was on its way to attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza and bring a quantity of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the region.

Under pressure from Paris, Berlin, and London "to lift the restrictions on aid delivery immediately", the Israeli army announced Saturday that "airdrops of aid in Gaza will resume overnight" and that it would work on "establishing humanitarian corridors to ensure the safe transport of United Nations convoys carrying food and medicine".

The UAE, Jordan, France, and other countries participated in the airdrop operations of aid packages in Gaza in 2024, which were sometimes considered risky and required complex logistics for a limited amount of aid. Many humanitarian officials confirmed at the time that they could not replace the delivery of aid by land.

Britain announced on Saturday that it is preparing to drop aid and evacuate "children in need of medical care", in cooperation with "partners like Jordan".

For its part, the UAE announced it would resume parachute aid drops "immediately".

In this context, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated on Saturday that the resumption of air drop operations for aid represents an "ineffective" response to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

Lazzarini wrote on X platform, "Airdrops will not end the escalating risk of famine. They are costly and ineffective and could even kill starving civilians."