The Israeli military’s announcement of a “tactical pause” comes after it said on Saturday it would resume allowing airdrops into war-ravaged Gaza as part of attempts to stem the rising hunger.

On Telegram, the Israeli military announced it “carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip”.

The military said these humanitarian steps were being allowed alongside its offensive against Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza.

Israel has faced growing international condemnation over the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, after imposing a total blockade on Gaza on 2 March. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume.

The decision to loosen the flow of aid came as the Palestinian civil defence agency said more than 50 more Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes and shootings, some as they waited near aid distribution centres.

The humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory has gravely deteriorated in recent days, with international NGOs warning of soaring malnutrition among children.

A boat carrying activists and journalists has been intercepted by Israeli troops while attempting to transport aid to Gaza on Saturday, with a pro-Palestinian group claiming the crew have been subjected to “unlawful” detention.

The Handala, led by the activist group the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was roughly 50km from the Egyptian coast and 100km west of Gaza when intercepted, an online tracking tool set up to plot the ship’s course showed.

In a post on X, the Israeli foreign ministry said its navy had stopped the boat from “illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza”.

“The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe,” the post read. “Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.”

Two Australians including journalist Tania “Tan” Safi and human rights activist Robert Martin were among 21 activists on board the ship, the group said in a statement, as well as two Al Jazeera reporters and French politicians Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala.

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East crisis.

The Israeli military says it will begin a “tactical pause” in fighting in three areas of Gaza as part of steps to address a worsening humanitarian situation.

The military said it would halt activity in Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm local time every day until further notice, beginning on Sunday.

The military said it was not operating in those areas but there had been fighting and strikes in each in recent weeks. In a statement, the military said it would also designate secure routes to help aid agencies deliver food and other supplies to people across Gaza.

The announcement that the military would pause some fighting comes after months of experts’ warnings of famine amid Israeli restrictions on aid.

International criticism, including by close allies, has grown as several hundred Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while trying to reach food distribution sites.

We’ll bring you updates on this story and other Middle East news throughout the day.