The Israeli Defense Ministry said this morning that more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip on the first day of a partial pause in fighting, reported the Times of Israel. “Over 120 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the UN and international organizations,” COGAT, the Defense Ministry agency overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said on X.
The Israeli military also said yesterday that aircraft from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped 28 packages of humanitarian aid in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. Videos posted on Telegram of one airdrop show at least two parachutes failing to open properly, resulting in the pallets dropping like stones to the ground.
However, the humanitarian pauses have not stopped IDF military strikes in Gaza. Yesterday, the Israeli military carried out several attacks across the enclave, killing over 53 people—including 32 aid seekers. According to Middle East Eye, Israeli air strikes hit a “safe zone” in Gaza City, designated as such by the Israeli military. Gaza’s health ministry has reported hospitals received the bodies of another 100 Palestinians today, including 25 of whom had sought food aid. The ministry also reported another 14 deaths from starvation, raising the total to 147, including 88 children.
The World Health Organization warned yesterday that malnutrition rates are reaching “alarming levels” in the Gaza Strip. “Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,” WHO says in a statement, adding: “Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.”
