Israel announces a daily ten-hour "tactical pause" in operations in parts of the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

Amid an alarming rise in deaths from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army announced on Sunday a daily ten-hour "tactical pause" in its military activity in three areas of the enclave to allow for the distribution of humanitarian aid "every day until further notice."

Today's announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza. A ceasefire is needed to end the war.

"In accordance with the directives of the political leadership, and as part of the ongoing effort by the Israel Defense Forces, led by COGAT (the Israeli entity in charge of civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories), to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, a local tactical pause in military activity for humanitarian purposes will be implemented from 10:00 a.m. (07:00 GMT) to 8:00 p.m. (17:00 GMT), starting today (Sunday)," the army said in a statement.

The military added that "safe routes" will be established between 6:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. GMT) and 11:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. GMT) to allow the passage of UN convoys and humanitarian organizations distributing food and medicine to the Gazan population.

This decision was coordinated with the UN and other international organizations following discussions on the matter.

"This decision was coordinated with the UN and other international organizations following discussions on the matter," the statement added.

Following the Jewish state's announcement, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged accelerated access of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a ceasefire to end the war, warning that the announced pause "is essential, but comes too late."

"Humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached new depths," Lammy said in a statement, stressing that humanitarian corridors and airdrops are necessary but insufficient given the scale of the crisis.

" Today's announcement cannot, on its own, alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza. What is needed is a ceasefire that ends the war , the release of the hostages, and the unrestricted entry of aid by land," the British Foreign Minister added.

According to the Israeli Army, the pause will be implemented in areas where it currently has no active presence: Gaza City (in the north of the enclave), Deir al-Balah (in the center), and Al Mawasi (in the south). The measure will be maintained, according to the statement, "every day until further notice."

The decision comes a day after Israel announced the resumption of humanitarian aid airdrops to Gaza, where deaths from malnutrition have soared in recent weeks.

The total number of malnutrition victims since the start of the Israeli offensive against the Strip on October 7, 2023, has risen to 133, 85 of whom were children, according to figures from the Gaza Health Department, controlled by the Hamas-led government.