US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee outlined an American-Israeli plan to funnel humanitarian aid into parts of Gaza that he acknowledged will initially feed only about 60% of the population.

The US has confirmed that a new system for providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza through private companies is being prepared, as Israel's blockade continues for a third month. The US ambassador to Israel said "distribution centres" protected by private security contractors would provide food and other supplies to up to a million people initially,

International aid agencies urged Israel to lift its ban on all food, medicine and other supplies entering Gaza, which has caused a surge of malnutrition and hunger.