Israel ‘Yielded To Global Pressure’, Says Former IDF Spokesperson On Gaza Operations Halt
After the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared a daily “tactical pause” in specific regions of Gaza for humanitarian reasons, former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said the move shows that Israel has given in to external pressure.
“It shows that Israel has yielded to international pressure,” Conricus told Sky News.
This follows Israel’s initiation of a daily “tactical pause” in certain parts of the Gaza Strip to enable smoother delivery of humanitarian relief, amidst rising global pressure and growing fears of famine in the region.
“The pause will begin in areas where the IDF is not conducting operations: Al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City, and will be in effect daily until further notice,” read a statement from the IDF on Telegram.
According to the military, fighting will be halted from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time in three densely inhabited zones. The objective, they said, is to “increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.”
Secure overland corridors are being put in place to allow UN agencies and aid organisations to deliver food and medical support. Israel also mentioned it had completed airdrops of food supplies including flour, sugar, and canned goods.
Israel firmly denied accusations that it is deliberately using starvation as a tool of war — a claim made by some global critics amid circulating images of undernourished children in Gaza. It said the most recent aid measures were coordinated with the United Nations and various humanitarian groups.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the decision to temporarily halt military activities but insisted that further measures are necessary to tackle the severe hunger crisis in Gaza. With around one-third of the population going without meals for days and about 500,000 people facing famine-like conditions, delivering aid continues to be a major hurdle despite having enough food stored to feed the entire population for almost three months.
Military operations by Israel are still ongoing in other regions. According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 27 individuals were killed in separate Israeli strikes just as the pause went into effect.
The war erupted following a Hamas assault on southern Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 251 hostages. Israel has said it would only accept a total ceasefire if Hamas agrees to surrender, disarm, and leave Gaza — terms that Hamas has rejected.
Efforts for a ceasefire have stalled, with both Israel and the United States withdrawing their negotiators last week.
