Tel Aviv, June 17, 2024 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed strong disapproval of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) recent decision to implement a strategic pause in southern Gaza to facilitate the normalization of aid supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. This information was reported by Reuters, citing an official close to the Prime Minister.

The official reported, "When Netanyahu heard on Sunday morning that the IDF had decided on an 11-hour daily break in southern Gaza and had already begun implementing it, he made it clear to his military secretary that he strongly disliked the move and that it was unacceptable to him."

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF's Special Unit, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), announced the decision via a message posted on the social media platform X. The strategic pause was established based on negotiations with the United Nations and other international organizations to normalize the supply of food and relief goods to Gaza.

Under this decision, the southern Gaza Strip will be closed for 11 hours daily, from 8 am to 7 pm, allowing food and relief supplies to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing and then be distributed through Salah Al Din road. 

Israel's Interior Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also condemned the IDF's move, stating in a message, "Those who took this decision are idiots and should be fired."

In contrast, the United Nations has welcomed the strategic break. Despite the pause, the IDF indicated that fighting in the town of Rafah would continue.

The conflict escalated on October 7, when fighters from Hamas, the political group controlling the Gaza Strip, attacked the Israeli border, resulting in 1,200 Israeli deaths. In retaliation, Israeli forces have been operating in Gaza for the past eight months. Reports indicate that more than 37,600 Palestinians have been killed, and another 82,000 have been injured during this period.

As the situation continues to unfold, the strategic pause has sparked both international support and internal controversy within Israel.