The Israeli army announces daily pause in operations in Gaza

The Israeli army announced on Sunday a daily pause in its operations in a southern area of Gaza with the aim of allowing more humanitarian aid to enter the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by over eight months of war and is threatened by famine. After intense and continuous bombardments in the Gaza Strip for eight months, the northern and central parts of the enclave had a moment of respite on Sunday morning, with no reports of attacks or fighting, according to AFP correspondents. However, in Rafah, at the southern end of the Strip, there were reports of gunfire and bombings. "Suddenly, it's calm since this morning, no shots, no bombings, it's strange," said Haiti al Ghuta, a resident of Gaza City, who hopes that this pause is the prelude to a permanent ceasefire. Despite the "tactical pause" announced by the Israeli army, it was emphasized that operations in Rafah continue and there is no ceasefire in the southern Gaza. The decision for the daily pause came after the death of 11 Israeli soldiers, eight of them in a bomb explosion in the Gaza Strip, triggering a bloody war initiated by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7 in Israel. The pause, which will take place from 08:00 to 19:00 every day, from Kerem Shalom in southern Israel to Salahedin Road in Gaza, aims to allow an increase in the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. The UN has welcomed this measure but has urged for more concrete actions to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, given the severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where 75% of its 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced by the war and the population faces a threat of famine. However, the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, described the decision to introduce a pause while soldiers are falling in combat as evil and stupid. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has caused a large number of civilian casualties, with devastating consequences on both sides. While Israel seeks to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, recover its hostages, and eliminate the threat from Gaza, Palestinians have suffered significant loss of lives and destruction in their territory. Meanwhile, the celebration of Eid al-Adha, the major Islamic festival, is overshadowed by pain and tragedy in Gaza. International mediators continue to pressure both parties to accept a ceasefire agreement presented by US President Joe Biden. However, differences persist, with Hamas demanding a permanent ceasefire and the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, demands that Israel rejects. The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, will soon meet with his American counterpart to discuss the situation in Gaza and explore possible solutions to end the conflict.