Israeli forces have intercepted and seized the Freedom Flotilla's Handala ship, detaining all 21 crew members onboard. The ship, carrying international activists and aid, was heading to Gaza from Italy when it was stopped roughly 40 nautical miles from the coast.

GENEVA: The United Nations’ aid chief welcomed Israel’s announcement Sunday of secure land routes into Gaza for humanitarian convoys, and said the UN would try to reach as many starving people as possible. “Welcome announcement of humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow our aid through,” UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher said on X.

For months, the U.N. and experts have warned that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition.

Israel's military announced that airdrops of aid would begin Saturday night in Gaza, and humanitarian corridors will be established for United Nations convoys, after increasing accounts of starvation-related deaths.

The UK is working with Jordan on plans to airdrop aid into Gaza and evacuate children needing medical assistance, Sir Keir Starmer has announced amind mounting international pressure on Israel to let more aid into Gaza, as aid organisations warn of mass starvation .

July 26 (Reuters) - Aid trucks started moving towards Gaza from Egypt, the Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday, after months of international pressure and warnings from relief agencies of starvation spreading in the Palestinian enclave.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said that Israel's move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both claiming it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal.