Israel suspends military operations south of Gaza

Aid trucks at the Kerem Shalom border crossing before entering Gaza

The Israeli military said on June 16 it would carry out daily tactical pauses in military operations along a major southern Gaza Strip route to allow more aid to be delivered.

Meanwhile, the operation in the city of Rafah will continue, where Israel will target the remaining Hamas brigades.

The temporary closure will start from 05:00 to 16:00 (GMT) daily until further notice along the road connecting Kerem Shalom border gate and Salah al-Din road, extending north.

Despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire, a ceasefire agreement still seems elusive, more than eight months after the start of the war in the Palestinian enclave.

Hezbollah in Lebanon has opened a second front against Israel. Fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border now threatens to spiral into a wider conflict. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government announced on June 16 that it would extend funding for hotels and guesthouses for residents evacuated from southern Israeli border towns until August 15.

According to AFP, the United Nations welcomed Israel's decision to temporarily halt fighting around the southern Gaza aid route, but called for more concrete measures to remove obstacles in humanitarian aid.

"We welcome this announcement. We hope this will lead to further concrete measures by Israel to address the long-standing issues that prevent meaningful humanitarian work in Gaza," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The United Nations and humanitarian partners stand ready to work with all parties to ensure assistance to those in need across Gaza, where catastrophic famine is spreading, he said.

“The living conditions of affected and displaced families in Gaza are dire. They need urgent food, water, sanitation, shelter and health care, with many living near solid waste dumps, increasing their health risks,” he said.

Mr Laerke stressed the UN message that humanitarian access in Gaza must be fully facilitated and all obstacles must be removed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/israel-tam-dung-hoat-dong-quan-su-phia-nam-gaza-185240616203248959.htm