Netanyahu Criticizes Israeli Army's Plan for 'Tactical Halt' of Operations in Southern Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, criticized the Israeli Army's announced plans on Sunday to implement a daily tactical halt of operations along one of the main roads in Gaza. The Israeli Army had announced on Sunday that it would cease operations along a route in southern Gaza during daylight hours to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians. According to Reuters, an Israeli official stated, 'When the Prime Minister heard the report of an 11-hour humanitarian halt in the morning, he referred to his military minister and clearly said that this is unacceptable to him.' The Israeli Army clarified that regular operations in Rafah, the main center of military operations in southern Gaza, where eight soldiers were killed on Saturday, would continue. Netanyahu's reaction reflects the political tensions in Israel regarding the issue of aid to Gaza. The United Nations welcomed the Israeli Army's decision. According to the Associated Press, this 'tactical halt' by the army covers about 12 kilometers of road in the Rafah area. This announcement of a halt to hostilities during daylight hours is far from a complete ceasefire in the besieged Gaza area, which the international community, including the United States, Israel's main ally, has called for. The limited halt in hostilities could address some of the critical needs of Palestinians through increased aid. Palestinian needs have escalated in recent weeks due to the Israeli invasion of Rafah. The army stated that the halt in hostilities would begin at 8 AM and continue until 7 PM, and that these halts would continue daily until further notice. According to the Israeli Army, this halt is aimed at allowing aid trucks to reach the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is near Israeli control. Since Israeli ground forces moved toward Rafah in early May, this crossing has faced heavy traffic from aid convoys.