AID SHIP INTERCEPTED
The Israeli military stressed that despite the humanitarian steps, “combat operations have not ceased” in the Gaza Strip.
Separately, international activists aboard an aid ship that set sail from Italy en route to Gaza said in a post on X that the vessel had been intercepted.
The Israeli foreign ministry said on X that naval forces “stopped the vessel from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza”, that it was being taken to Israeli shores and all passengers were safe.
The UN said Thursday that humanitarian pauses in Gaza would allow “the scale up of humanitarian assistance” and said Israel hadn’t provided ample route alternatives for its convoys, which have 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 nearly two years ago.
On Wednesday, more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the enclave.
The military also said on Saturday that it had connected a power line to a desalination plant, expected to supply daily water needs for about 900,000 Gazans.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed Israeli towns near the border, killing some 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages on Oct 7, 2023.
Since then, Israeli forces have killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, health officials there say, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins.
