Netanyahu, speaking from the Israel Air Force's Ramon Air Base claimed that the UN is "creating an excuse and lie about Israel," by saying that Israel is not allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Israel will "need to continue allowing the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies" into the Gaza Strip,

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were affiliated with Palestinian militants Hamas,

Israel has long restricted aid to Gaza on the argument that Hamas steals it to use as a weapon of control over the population. On Saturday, the Israeli military announced new airdrops of aid.

Senate Democrats told the secretary of state they have "grave concerns" about the U.S. role in financing GHF, the main group distributing aid in Gaza.

The Israeli military said it would halt activity between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. (0700–1700 GMT) in designated areas: Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City. Secure corridors for aid convoys will also be operational from 6 a.

The World Food Program hopes that an Israeli humanitarian pause in designated areas of the Gaza Strip will allow for a surge in urgently needed food aid to the region, it says. The United Nations agency has enough food in or on its way to the region to feed the entire Gaza population of 2.1 million for almost three months, it says in a post on X.

Against the backdrop of ongoing warnings of a deadly hunger crisis, some aid has reached the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said on Thursday. The UN confirmed that its teams were able to collect mainly flour at two border crossings on Wednesday and bring it into the coastal strip,