Israel Conducts Aid Airdrops and Announces Humanitarian Pauses Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

The Israeli military reported that 28 aid deliveries, including food supplies, were airdropped into the northern and southern Gaza Strip in recent hours, as part of a joint effort with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also announced that the UAE will soon begin constructing a water pipeline from Egypt to Gaza, expected to provide water to around 600,000 residents.

IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin stated that Israel is not starving Gaza's population, attributing claims to a "false and deceptive campaign" by Hamas. Defrin accused Hamas of deliberately harming civilians in addition to fighting Israeli forces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that humanitarian pauses in fighting are necessary to achieve Israel's war objectives, adding that the United Nations now has "no more excuses" for not delivering aid to Gaza. The IDF confirmed that daily 10-hour humanitarian pauses would be implemented in Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City, coordinated with the UN and international organizations.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Netanyahu to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza's civilian population without delay and called for efforts toward an immediate cease-fire. The UN's World Food Program stated on social media that it has enough food in or en route to the region to feed Gaza's 2.1 million residents for nearly three months.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported 88 deaths and 374 injuries in the past 24 hours, including casualties among those seeking humanitarian aid. The IDF announced the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in Khan Yunis due to an explosive device, and reported that two other soldiers were seriously wounded in southern Gaza.

In related developments, Israel Police said indictments would be filed against seven individuals accused of arms trafficking to organized crime and terrorist groups in the West Bank. Senior members of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee began a three-day hunger strike to protest what they described as a "war of destruction, starvation, and displacement" in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts also continue, with reports of talks between Israel and Syria aimed at establishing a security agreement and potential normalization of relations.