Israel said on Sunday it would resume the entry of a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza, after nearly three months of total blockade that drove the Strip to the brink of famine.
The announcement came on the heels of Israel’s decision to launch extensive ground operations as part of its new military offensive on Gaza, dubbed Operation Gideon Chariots, across the enclave’s north and south, reported the Associated Press (AP).
Limited Aid
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement on Sunday that a “starvation crisis” would threaten Israel’s new military campaign in Gaza, announcing that his cabinet decided to allow the entry of a “basic amount of food” into Gaza.
“Israel will allow a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said. It also added that Israel would also “act to deny Hamas’s ability to take control of the distribution of humanitarian assistance.”
The statement did not detail when or how would this aid enter the Strip. Recently, Israel has been trying to develop a new mechanism for aid delivery, involving an international humanitarian foundation and US private companies, aimed at excluding Hamas and weakening its grip on the Strip. However, the proposal has faced strong objections from aid workers.
Total Blockade
Since March 2, 2025, Israel has imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid entry into Gaza, before resuming its military operations in the Strip on March 18, to increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. The blockade has forced community kitchens to close due to the lack of supplies and the depletion of food stocks, exacerbating malnutrition and hunger.
The Israeli blockade has drove the population of Gaza towards famine. Last week, the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that “470,000 people in Gaza are facing catastrophic hunger, and the entire population is experiencing acute food insecurity.”
Furthermore, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, strongly denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza. “The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious & beyond inhumane. A policy of siege & starvation makes a mockery of international law. The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately. This is a moment for moral clarity & action,” he posted on X on Saturday.
Operation Gideon Chariots
Earlier on Sunday, Israel announced it has launched “extensive ground operations” throughout Gaza as part of its Operation Gideon Chariots, a major military offensive aiming to ramp up pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. The Israeli airstrikes killed at least 103 people, including children, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Moreover, the Israeli military targeted several sites, including hospitals, in Beit Lahia and the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, in addition to the southern city of Khan Yunis, according to BBC. The Israeli military claimed its troops were fighting “terrorist infrastructure sites” in northern Gaza.
Amid the ongoing ground operations across Gaza’s north and south, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, said that plans include “dissecting” the strip, according to AP.
Since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, 2025, Israeli strikes killed around 3,000 people, while the war’s total death toll climbed to more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Ceasefire Talks
The new ground operations came as negotiators from Hamas and Israel are trying to reach a ceasefire agreement in Doha, Qatar. On Sunday, Netanyahu signaled Israel was open to a deal that would end the fighting, although he laid out conditions that Hamas firmly rejects.
“Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal … which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
However, Hamas insists on a permanent deal that involves a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, the entry of humanitarian aid, and an end to the war. “No breakthrough or progress has been achieved so far in the ongoing negotiations in Doha due to continued Israeli intransigence,” a senior Hamas official told BBC. The source added that the Palestinian movement was willing to release all the remaining hostages “on the condition of reaching a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire agreement.”
