Tel Aviv - Israel plans to establish a "humanitarian corridor" to get needed supplies to Palestinian civilians in the embattled Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced overnight Tuesday.

The plan would allow limited time windows to get humanitarian supplies into parts of the Palestinian territory, Ynetnews reported online, citing the prime minister's office.

Gaza has been blockaded by Israel for months, with a bombing campaign since December 27 against the Islamic militant movement Hamas, which controls the strip. Israeli ground forces were ordered into Gaza late Saturday.

International aid groups have accused Israel of causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of hiding among civilians and provoking the bombing and invasion, which the Israeli government says are intended to halt a barrage of rockets fired by Palestinian militants toward southern Israel. (dpa)