JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel's military began a series of limited ceasefires across Gaza on Sunday to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, drawing both international praise and sharp criticism from inside Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces faced mounting pressure to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where millions remain in need of food, water, and basic supplies. In response, the IDF announced new measures to expand aid delivery, both by land and air.
IDF Chief Spokesman Effie Defrin stated, "In order to reach even more civilians. The IDF has conducted an airdrop operation of humanitarian supplies led by CogAT with international aid organizations. In addition, we are now implementing daily humanitarian pauses and designated corridors to allow safe movement for aid distribution."
According to the IDF, more than 850 aid trucks entered Gaza over the past week. Israel also connected a power line to increase clean water output in Gaza by 5 million gallons per day. However, as United Nations convoys resumed operations, some were looted, raising serious concerns about the security of distribution.
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Families of some of the hostages condemned the ceasefires, calling them a strategic mistake that gives Hamas time to regroup without securing the release of any captives.
Rachel Touitou, the spokesperson for Tsav 9, a group that is very against giving more aid to Gaza, told CBN News, "So, we're sending soldiers to fight the enemy, and they go to war, and they sacrifice their lives. And on the second hand, we're sending (Hamas) everything they need in order to continue this war effort against us."
President Donald Trump observed, "They (Hamas) don't want to give them (the hostages) back. And so Israel's going to have to make a decision."
In Jerusalem on Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Christian leaders, including Pastor Paula White of the White House Faith Office, in which he pushed back on accusations that Israel was persecuting Christians. Netanyahu called those claims outrageous.
"Israel has a thriving Christian community, the only thriving Christian community in the broad, broad radius of the Middle East where Christians are not tolerated, they're cherished," he said. "What folly, what lies, what a travesty of truth."
He also insisted that Israel is not pursuing a campaign to starve Gazans.
"There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza," he asserted.
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's commitment to dismantling Hamas and securing the return of the hostages, while warning that the war for public opinion may be just as critical as the fight on the ground.
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