Israel Establishes Humanitarian Corridors in Gaza Amid Escalating Conflict to Facilitate Aid Delivery

In a move that comes amid increasing international concern over deteriorating conditions in Gaza, Israel has announced the establishment of humanitarian corridors and daily pauses in military operations to enable the safe delivery of aid. The announcement comes after mounting pressure from foreign governments, humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies over growing reports of famine, displacement, and civilian suffering in the enclave.

Under the plan unveiled on July 27, military activity in designated Gaza areas — including al-Mawasi, central Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City — will be suspended daily between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time. During those hours, designated secure routes will be opened from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. for convoys carrying food, medicine, and essential supplies. The corridors are intended for United Nations and other international aid organizations. Reuters reported Israel said through its defence agency (COGAT) that more than 100 trucks of humanitarian aid would enter southern Gaza via these routes.

The decision follows alarming warnings from United Nations officials that there is only a narrow window — through the end of September — to avert a serious famine affecting Gaza’s central and southern regions, particularly Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. The U.N. aid chief emphasized that without significantly expanded and reliable access, hundreds of thousands of civilians could face catastrophic food shortages.

There has been criticism of earlier restrictions and delays in aid delivery. Aid agencies have complained that many trucks laden with supplies have remained stuck at border crossings or internal depots, hampered by security concerns, bureaucratic hurdles, or lack of safe passage amid ongoing conflict. International health organizations have also raised alarm about deaths already reported from malnutrition and the burden falling especially on children.

Israeli authorities have defended the decision as a partial response to international outcry and a humanitarian necessity, while also maintaining that their operations are aimed at degrading Hamas’s military capabilities. The corridors and pauses are being positioned as temporary and tactical, to reduce civilian harm without compromising military objectives. However, some human rights and humanitarian groups argue that the safe hours and routes offered so far are insufficient given the scale of displacement and destruction. Many civilians remain unable to move due to damaged infrastructure, lack of transport, or fears of violence in transit.

On the ground, residents of Gaza City have been ordered to evacuate certain districts and to move southward in anticipation of intensified military operations. Yet many remain in place, citing lack of safe shelter, inability to pay relocation costs, or skepticism about the safety and adequacy of designated zones. Tents and shelters in southern Gaza, particularly in al-Mawasi, are reportedly overcrowded and under-resourced. Aid workers warn that even with the corridors, delivery of basic services — water, medical care, sanitation — remains seriously compromised.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have welcomed the corridors and pauses as a step in the right direction, but stress that meaningful scale-up is essential. They call for continuous access, predictable and safe routes, fewer restrictions, and increased transparency. Failure, they say, could result in irreversible damage to civilian life, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, the disabled, and the elderly.

As the situation evolves, the effectiveness of the corridors will depend on coordination on the ground, security guarantees, and the capacity of aid agencies to mobilize rapidly. With hostilities continuing, the corridors may offer only limited relief unless coupled with broader measures to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian standards are met.