On August 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that two new humanitarian aid centers are being constructed in Gaza. The method of building these large open-air sites is similar to that used for the four initial sites established in May 2025, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) first began its work in Gaza. The US-backed GHF announced on August 27 that it had distributed 1.5 million meals that day and more than 140 million meals since its operations began in late May.
The GHF often distributes food through three sites it has dubbed SD2 and SD3 in southern Gaza and SDS4 in central Gaza. On August 28, the IDF said that “in the coming days, the construction of two additional humanitarian aid and food distribution centers in the southern Gaza Strip will be completed thanks to the ongoing efforts that the U.S administration and the American Foundation [GHF] are leading in the Gaza Strip.”
The report stated that when the two new sites are completed, a total of five sites will function. “The distribution center in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood [one of the initial four locations] will be replaced by the two centers currently being established in the southern Strip, with the aim of improving the response and the safety of distribution,” the report said. The IDF stated that it will continue to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance through its Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit.
The IDF has issued regular reports on the amount of aid entering Gaza over the last several weeks. For instance, on August 28, it said that “270 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. Additionally, 340 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations, while the contents of several hundred more remain on the Gazan side of the crossings, awaiting collection.” On August 27, the IDF said that 280 trucks had entered Gaza. On August 26, the IDF said 320 trucks had entered the territory.
The IDF also stated that 325 children, as well as Gazans with dual citizenship, recently exited the territory through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza and then went to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge crossing. The IDF has also facilitated the entry of tanker trucks with fuel supplied by the United Nations, and it said on August 26 that it has been working with Jordan, the UAE, Germany, and Indonesia to enable humanitarian airdrops. In mid-August, several other countries were also involved in the airdrops, which usually include around 100-200 pallets, including Singapore, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, according to an IDF statement on August 19.
IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir also met with Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), on August 27. “The Chief of the General Staff emphasized the IDF’s commitment to preventing famine and doing everything in its power to continue enabling humanitarian aid to reach the civilian population directly, rather than Hamas,” the IDF said.
These aid developments come as Israel is gearing up for an offensive into Gaza City in the northern part of the territory. Israel continues to carry out various raids and operations as it prepares for this expanded operation against Hamas. For instance, the IDF said on August 28 that troops had been operating in Khan Younis to “establish operational control of the ‘Magen Oz’ Corridor, connecting the eastern and western parts of the city. The troops operated to dismantle structures from which Hamas terrorists operated in the area.”
The IDF has also been operating in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, the Israeli military stated. The Gaza Infantry Brigade of the 162nd Division carried out raids in Jabaliya, which has been cleared of Hamas numerous times by the IDF since the beginning of the war. “The activity of the troops on the outskirts of Gaza City enables the expansion of operations deeper into the area and prevents the entrenchment of terrorist organizations in the region,” the IDF said on August 27. The 607th Engineering Battalion also began operating in Gaza for the first time, the IDF noted.
Zamir visited units in Gaza on August 27 and praised Israel’s reservists, who have been called up numerous times in the 22-month war. “Thanks to the reservists, Israel stands tall against every enemy; your sacrifice is an inspiration to us all. Conscripts, career soldiers, and tens of thousands of reservists are answering the call and sacrificing their personal lives, along with their families, for the security of the state,” he said.
