Israel resumed airdrop aid to Gaza on Saturday night, the Israeli military said, a few days after more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the enclave.
The military also said in a separate statement that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering aid to the Gaza population, and that humanitarian pauses would be implemented in densely populated areas.
“The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar and canned food to be provided by international organizations,” the military said in a statement. It added that humanitarian corridors will be established for United Nations convoys.
Palestinian sources confirmed that aid has begun dropping in northern Gaza.
Israel has faced mounting criticism from aid agencies, which accuse it of restricting aid delivery. The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the crisis as “man-made mass starvation,” while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called Israel’s actions a “violation of international law.”
Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants.
It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza’s 2.2 million people.
Israel has also accused the United Nations of failing to act in a timely fashion, saying 700 truckloads of aid were idling inside Gaza.
“The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas,” the Israeli military said in its Saturday statement.
“Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations. Therefore, the UN and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas.”
More than 125 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday.
