The IDF said it was continuing its operations in Rafah, near the location of the humanitarian route. After a slower initial ground attack, Israeli soldiers recently pushed deeper into the central and western regions of the city.

On Sunday, Tel Aviv announced that it would pause military operations during daylight hours along a seven-mile stretch of road in Gaza to relieve a backlog of aid shipments. However, after the policy was rolled out, Israeli officials were quick to downplay and denounce the humanitarian corridor.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari appeared to minimize the significance of the pause. “There is no cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, and the fighting in Rafah continues. Also, there is no change in the introduction of goods into the Gaza Strip,” he said in a post on X. “The axis carrying the goods will be open during the day in coordination with international organizations, for the transportation of humanitarian aid only.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found even the limited halt to fighting “unacceptable,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said whoever came up with the idea is a “fool” and should be fired.

The IDF announcement came as nearly all of the Palestinians living in Gaza are suffering from severe deprivation and in need of humanitarian assistance. The UN agency for children, UNICEF, recently warned that about 90 percent of kids in Gaza lack nutrition and face “severe” threats to their “survival, growth and development.”

Aid deliveries in southern Gaza have been significantly curtailed by Israeli military operations over the past month. In the 30 days following the Israeli assault on Rafah, the number of shipments entering Gaza plummeted to 68 per day – far short of the minimum of 500 needed to sustain the population.

This article was originally featured at Antiwar.com and is republished with permission.