Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday evening that Israel will allow a limited amount of food into Gaza following increasing pressure from Western allies, even as the military escalates its ground offensive across the battered enclave.
“The decision was made following a recommendation from the army,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement, describing the move as a partial opening meant to prevent a full-scale humanitarian collapse. The announcement came just hours after Israeli ground forces launched a new phase of operations that Palestinian sources say killed more than 150 people in 24 hours.
Speaking in a video address on Monday, Netanyahu confirmed the shift. “Our greatest friends have told us: ‘We cannot accept images of mass hunger. We will not be able to support you.’” He added, “Therefore, to achieve victory, we need to somehow solve the problem.”
He clarified that the volume of aid would be “minimal” and provided no details on delivery timelines. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs later confirmed that Israel had reached out to discuss a possible resumption of “limited aid delivery,” though logistical talks were still ongoing due to what the U.N. described as “extremely critical” conditions on the ground.
Palestinian officials, however, said they had not received formal notification about the timing or procedure for opening the crossings. “We have not been informed when or how aid will be allowed in,” said Munir al-Bursh, director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Netanyahu’s announcement drew swift backlash from members of his far-right coalition. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the decision a “grave mistake,” while Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, described it as a “tragedy” that would directly undermine “the war effort to achieve victory.”
Human rights groups have accused Israel of weaponizing hunger in an effort to forcibly displace Gaza’s civilian population or erode support for Hamas. The allegations come amid a growing diplomatic backlash that Netanyahu appears increasingly eager to contain.
On the political front, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar in Doha, remain deadlocked. Sources close to the talks told Reuters there had been no meaningful progress. Israel is believed to have floated terms that Hamas has previously rejected, including a ceasefire tied to the exile of Hamas leaders and the full demilitarization of the Strip.
“We are discussing the end of the war and the release of hostages,” Netanyahu said, though he acknowledged that the conditions for an agreement are not yet in place. “The fighting is intense, but we are making progress. Our objective remains full control of Gaza.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had struck more than 670 Hamas targets in the past week and killed dozens of fighters. The ongoing campaign has also hit medical facilities. According to reports from Al Jazeera, the Nasser Medical Complex and the Indonesian Hospital have both come under attack. At least 55 people — including four doctors and eight nurses — are reportedly trapped inside the latter.
On Sunday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 464 Palestinian deaths over the previous seven days, many of them women and children. By Monday morning, at least 23 additional fatalities were confirmed, including six in Khan Younis and five near the al-Faluja market in Jabalia.
