Netanyahu’s office says move aims to prevent famine as fighting escalates and indirect talks with Hamas continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that, after more than two months of blockade, the Israeli government will immediately resume the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip.
“Following a recommendation from the military and due to the operational need to expand intense combat to defeat Hamas, Israel will allow a basic amount of food into the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not occur in the Gaza Strip,” read a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The decision coincides with a sharp escalation of Israel’s military offensive and ongoing indirect negotiations with the Hamas militant group to reach a possible ceasefire agreement.
Israel has stressed that measures will be taken to prevent Hamas from diverting the aid. The blockade, imposed on March 2, was intended to pressure the Islamist group amid Israel’s ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages still held in Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump, one of Netanyahu’s closest allies, acknowledged days ago that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza and vowed that “this will be resolved.” In the same vein, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern about the suffering of the Palestinian population and emphasized the importance of Israel allowing the distribution of essential supplies over the next 90 days.
Rubio spoke directly with Netanyahu on Saturday regarding the situation in Gaza and the joint efforts by Israel and the United States “to secure the release of all hostages.”
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot demanded the immediate and unimpeded restoration of mass humanitarian assistance.
Military escalation and new ground positions in Gaza
Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the launch of “extensive ground operations” in both the northern and southern sectors of Gaza. Israeli troops have been deployed to key strategic positions as part of a campaign aimed at freeing hostages still held by Hamas and achieving the complete military defeat of the group.
Airstrikes intensified over the weekend, coinciding with the start of indirect negotiations in Doha, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, to seek an agreement to end the fighting. Netanyahu’s office stated that all possible avenues are being explored, “whether under the Witkoff framework or as part of an end to hostilities.”
The Witkoff framework refers to a proposal by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is involved in discussions aimed at securing a deal that would include the release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas leadership, and the full disarmament of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had struck more than 670 Hamas targets over the past week as part of a “preliminary wave” of operations.
Since the collapse of the previous ceasefire in March, diplomatic efforts have repeatedly failed to produce a sustainable solution. Netanyahu remains firm in his refusal to halt the war without Hamas’s total defeat, while the militant group demands a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
As fierce fighting continues and negotiations remain unresolved, the limited entry of food supplies into Gaza represents only a brief reprieve in a crisis that shows no sign of ending soon.
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