In accordance with directives from the political echelon and following a situational assessment held this evening, the IDF has begun a series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, and to refute the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday night, the IDF will resume the aerial airdrops of humanitarian aid, as part of ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid to Gaza.
The humanitarian airdrop operation will be conducted in coordination with international aid organizations and the IDF, led by COGAT and the IAF. The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food to be provided by international organizations.
In addition, it was decided that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of UN convoys delivering food and medicine to the population.
The IDF clarified that it is "prepared to implement humanitarian pauses in densely populated areas and will continue to operate to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and eliminate terrorists in the areas of activity."
"This week alone, over 250 aid trucks were unloaded, joining hundreds of trucks waiting at the crossings to be collected by the UN and international organizations. Additionally, approximately 600 trucks have been distributed by the UN and international organizations. The IDF, through COGAT, will continue coordinating with international organizations to collect the contents of hundreds of trucks that have not yet been collected," the IDF stressed.
In addition, in line with a decision by the political echelon, the IDF, through COGAT and in coordination with the Israel Electric Corporation, connected the power line from Israel to the desalination plant. This is expected to supply approximately 20,000 cubic meters of water per day, up from the 2,000 cubic meters supplied until now, to serve about 900,000 residents in the area.
"The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas," the statement added. "Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations. Therefore, the UN and international organizations are expected to improve the effectiveness of aid distribution and to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas."
"The IDF emphasizes that combat operations have not ceased. We will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip to return all hostages and to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization, both above and below ground."