Israeli military announces daily 'tactical pause' of its offensive in southern Gaza
The first break in the fighting started on Sunday morning and will last for 11 hours a day, as Neil Connery explains
The Israeli military has announced a daily "tactical pause" in its southern Gaza offensive to allow more deliveries of humanitarian aid into the territory.
A pause in fighting will begin in the Rafah area at 8am local time (6am BST) and end at 7pm local time (5pm BST) every day until further notice, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
The pause is aimed at allowing aid convoys to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing - the main entry point for incoming aid - and travel safely to the Salah a-Din highway - a main north-south road in the Gaza Strip - to deliver supplies to other parts of Gaza.
Israel's military said the pause was being coordinated with the United Nations (UN) and other international aid agencies.
The Kerem Shalom crossing has been effectively cut off ever since Israeli ground forces began their offensive into Rafah in early May.
Israel's eight-month long military offensive against proscribed terror group Hamas has plunged the Gaza Strip into a humanitarian crisis, with the UN reporting widespread hunger and hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine.
Between May 6 and June 6, the UN's humanitarian office said the organisation received, on average, 68 aid vehicles a day, although aid groups warn around 500 are in fact needed.
The Israeli military body that oversees aid distribution in Gaza - COGAT - has said there are no restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza.
It added that around 8,600 aid and commercial vehicles entered the territory between May 2 and June 13, but much of that has remained stuck at Gaza's various border crossings and unable to reach its final destination.
Israel has blamed the delays on the UN and other aid agencies not solving "fundamental logistical problems" - something which the UN has denied.
On Saturday, the IDF said eight of its soldiers had died in southern Gaza, in what is thought to be one of the deadliest incidents involving Israeli forces since its offensive began.
More than 37,000 Palestinians have now died as a result of Israel's offensive into Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel's military action was itself provoked following an unprecedented attack by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to hundreds more being taken hostage.
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