Israel’s Military announced on Sunday it would cease fighting during the daytime along a southern Gaza route to clear a backlog in humanitarian aid deliveries. The Palestinians are in a desperate humanitarian crisis caused by the war which is now in its ninth months.

The “tactical stop” which covers about 12 km (7 1/2 miles), of road in Rafah falls short of the complete cease-fire that the international community has sought, including Israel’s most important ally, the United States. The “tactical pause” could be used to address the needs of Palestinians, which have risen in recent weeks due to Israel’s incursion on Rafah.

The army stated that the daily pause will begin at 8 am (0500 GMT), last until 7 pm (1600 GMT), and continue until further notification. The military explained that the pause was to allow aid trucks to safely reach the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is the main entry point to Gaza, and to travel to the Salah a-Din Highway, a major north-south highway. Since Israeli ground troops entered Rafah early in May, the crossing has been a bottleneck.

COGAT (the Israeli military organization that oversees the distribution of aid in Gaza) said that the route would increase aid flow to other parts, including Khan Younis and the coastal area Muwasi, as well as central Gaza. Goods entering from the north are used to serve the hard-hit northern Gaza area, which was an early target of the war.

The military stated that the pause began as Muslims begin to celebrate Eid Al-Adha. This came after discussions with United Nations and aid agencies.

Jens Laerke told The Associated Press, a U.N. spokesperson that Israel’s declaration was welcomed, but “no assistance has been dispatched today from Kerem Shalom,” without providing any details. Laerke stated that the U.N. hoped for more concrete measures from Israel, such as smoother operations at border checkpoints and regular fuel entry.

Israel and Hamas have been weighing up the latest cease-fire proposal, which was outlined by U.S. president Joe Biden as part of the administration’s strongest diplomatic push to stop the fighting and release the hostages held by the militant group. Biden referred to the proposal as Israeli, but Israel has not fully accepted it. Hamas demands changes that Israel finds unacceptable.

The news that the military was halting its operations sparked a minor political uproar. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had vowed to continue the war despite the opposition of many of his members from the far-right of his government.

A senior Israeli official reported that Netanyahu said the plan was “unacceptable” to him when he first learned about it. Official said that Netanyahu was assured that the military policy would not change and that the fighting in Rafah will continue as planned.

Israeli television later quoted Netanyahu criticizing the military. “We have a nation with an army and not an army with our country.”

Netanyahu and the army did not cancel the new arrangement. The army said that “there has been no cessation in fighting” in Gaza’s south, but also stated that the new route will be open only during the daytime “for the transportation of humanitarian assistance.”

The fighting continues. According to AP journalists, nine people were killed, including five kids, when a house in Bureji, central Gaza was struck Sunday. The bodies were counted at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir al-Balah. The small bundle wrapped in sheeting was held by a man who wept. Two of the kids were playing on the street.

What did this girl do, Netanyahu? “Isn’t that forbidden for you?” A woman asked, while holding a dead baby.

Israel’s military did not respond to any questions regarding the strike.

Israel has announced the names 12 soldiers who were killed in recent attacks on Gaza. This brings the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since Israel’s ground invasion in Gaza began last year to 309. Israeli authorities claim that Hamas took 250 hostages and killed about 1,200 people in its attack on Oct. 7. Hamas’s Gaza-run health officials say that more than 37,000 Palestinians were killed.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has led to a humanitarian catastrophe, and the U.N. reports that hundreds of thousands are on the verge of famine.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for increased pressure to open border crossings. Since Israel’s occupation of the city, another crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been closed, the Rafah Terminal. Egypt refuses to reopen this crossing so long as Israel controls Palestinian territory.

Aid has decreased in southern Gaza just as the need for it increased. After the invasion of Rafah, more than one million Palestinians, including many who were already displaced, fled to other parts of central and southern Gaza. The majority of Palestinians are in tent camps with sewage running freely in the streets.

The U.N. averaged 68 trucks a day from May 6 to June 6. This was down from the 168 trucks a week in April, and well below the 500 a week that aid groups claim are required.

COGAT claims that there are no restrictions for trucks entering Gaza. From May 2 to the 13th, more than 8,600 trucks, both commercial and aid, have entered Gaza through all crossings. That’s an average of 201 trucks per day. Most of this aid is piled up in the crossings.

Shimon Freedman said that it was U.N. fault for the cargo piling up on Gaza’s side of Kerem Shalom. He said that its agencies face “fundamental logistics problems,” including a shortage of trucks.

The U.N. denies these allegations. The U.N. says that the fighting makes it dangerous for U.N. trucks to travel from Gaza to Kerem Shalom. The pace of deliveries is also said to have slowed down because Israel’s army must approve drivers before they can travel to Kerem Shalom, a system Israel claims was designed to ensure drivers’ safety.

The new arrangement is designed to reduce the need for coordination of deliveries by offering an 11-hour daily uninterrupted window

Due to a lack in security, crowds have looted some aid trucks as they traveled along Gaza’s road. It was not immediately clear if the army would provide protection for trucks traveling along the highway.