UN say residents in Gaza face ‘appalling’ conditions as Israel agree to daily pauses in attacks

On Thursday Egyptian security officials reopened the Rafah border crossing with Gaza earlier closed because of unspecified threats, allowing hundreds of foreign passport holders through, as well as 12 injured people.

Israeli military officials have restricted the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Still, they say they have overseen the delivery of more than 700 trucks loaded with food, water and medical supplies. They warn, however, that they will stop the operations if they find out that Hamas militants are using the aid for themselves.

UN officials say, even with the latest deliveries, that they have been “stretched to the limits.” They say nearly half the houses in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged and that 720,000 people have crowded into shelters in conditions they describe as “appalling.” The officials say hundreds of people share a single toilet and shower.

Some civilians have decided to head back to what used to be their homes. They say they are worried for the health of their children and that living in the rubble is the “lesser of two evils.”

And following US repeated pressed on Israeli for a pause in the fighting in Gaza, on Thursday, they say the Israelis have agreed to stop military operations against Hamas militants for four hours every day.

The spokesperson for the National Security Council, John Kirby, said the first pause was to have taken place Thursday. He said Israeli officials will announce each window three hours beforehand, and the breaks will allow civilians to flee and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The pauses emerged after discussions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week.

Netanyahu had rejected a ceasefire without the release of more than 200 hostages being held by Hamas.

On Thursday, Biden said he has been pushing for a pause of more than three days to get the captives out. He told reporters that he was “still optimistic.”

Reuters has reported that US and Israeli intelligence leaders met with officials in Qatar to discuss a deal to free the hostages. Hamas leaders keep a political office in the capital, Doha.

Senior members of the militant group have also met with Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss the situation on the ground.

LENS with Reuters input