The IDF on Sunday announced localized ceasefires from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in portions of Gaza in order to expand food aid distribution to the civilian population.
Although the IDF message tried to present the announcement as a very limited issue and not a broader ceasefire, the implications are likely a relatively broad ceasefire, and at a point where Hamas has given no new concessions to Israel.
According to the IDF announcement, the ceasefires relate to the al-Muwasi central-southern Gaza coastal area, Deir al Balah central Gaza, and the Gaza City northern Gaza areas.
These areas alone make up around 25% of Gaza and where nearly all of the civilian population and Hamas currently reside.
Put differently, Israel will not be able to target the vast majority of Hamas, and any other Hamas fighters who move to these areas will be safe.
Questioned by The Jerusalem Post about the length of the ceasefires, which was not mentioned in the announcement, the IDF said "until further notice" - meaning it could go on for weeks or even months.
However, the significance is even larger, and the ceasefire will be even larger.
To arrive at this 25% of Gaza, the IDF has enlarged corridors for international food aid groups to arrive at these disparate areas.
These areas will also, out of necessity, need to be no-fire zones for the IDF.
Majority of Gaza in a ceasefire
Whether this means 35% or 50% of Gaza is not in a state of ceasefire is unknown, but the bottom line could be a majority of Gaza in a ceasefire - and this without Hamas giving up a single hostage.
The dramatic reversal of Israeli policy in many ways goes backward to the January-March ceasefire when the sides were negotiating over more hostage deals as Israel continued to facilitate food aid, and comes after massive global criticism of Israel regarding alleged starvation in Gaza, about which the IDF has rejected, but agreed that the food security situation has gotten to a dangerous point.
Also on Sunday, the IDF announced that 28 aid packages, containing food for the residents of both the southern and northern Gaza Strip, were airdropped.
The airdrops were in accordance with the directives from the political echelon and as part of the cooperation between Israel, the UAE, and Jordan.
IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Efi Deffrin also vehemently denied any starvation charges at a press conference he held in southern Gaza near humanitarian aid convoys.
He did admit that the recent food situation is more dire than at other times during the war and said that this was why Israel was taking extra measures to allow more humanitarian aid in and with less oversight than the slower and more policed aid which the IDF has allowed in in recent months.