Israel says it resumes airdrop aid to Gaza

TEL AVIV - Israel resumed airdrop aid to Gaza on Saturday, an Israeli military spokesperson told Reuters, as the Israeli military announced several steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis after mounting international pressure.

The military said in a statement that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering aid to the Gaza population, and that humanitarian pauses would be implemented in densely populated areas.

"The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food to be provided by international organizations," it added.

Palestinian sources confirmed that aid has begun dropping in northern Gaza.

International aid organisations say mass hunger has now arrived among Gaza's 2.2 million people, with stocks running out after Israel cut off all supplies to the territory in March, then reopened it in May but with new restrictions.

Israel says it has let enough food into Gaza and accuses the United Nations of failing to distribute it. The United Nations says it is operating as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions.

"The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in the Gaza Strip; this is a false campaign promoted by Hamas," the Israeli military said in its Saturday statement.

"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 UN said Thursday that humanitarian pauses would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance" and said Israel hadn't provided ample route alternatives for its convoys which has hindered aid access.

Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in the past few weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry while 127 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, since the start of the war, which began nearly two years ago.

On Wednesday, more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the enclave.

The military also said Saturday that it had connected a power line to a desalination plant, expected to supply daily water needs for about 900,000 Gazans.