DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — After nearly three months of a total blockade, Israel has announced it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, citing the need to avert a “hunger crisis” following international warnings of impending famine. The move comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign across Gaza, with extensive ground operations launched over the weekend.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Sunday that his Cabinet had approved the entry of “basic” food supplies into the besieged territory, home to over 2 million Palestinians. Israel had imposed a full blockade on aid since March 2. The announcement, however, included no details on the timing or mechanisms of aid delivery. Netanyahu emphasized that aid distribution would be monitored to prevent it from reaching Hamas.
Simultaneously, Israel ramped up its military operations with renewed air and ground assaults across the north and south of Gaza. Overnight and into Sunday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 103 Palestinians, including dozens of children, according to hospitals and emergency services. In the southern city of Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital reported 48 deaths, among them 18 children and 13 women.
In the north, the Indonesian Hospital—the region’s primary medical facility after others were forced to shut down—ceased operations due to what health officials described as a direct siege and shelling by Israeli forces. “There is direct targeting on the hospital, including the intensive care unit,” said Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, the hospital’s director.
Further strikes in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya area killed entire families, including nine members of a single household and ten others, seven of whom were children. In central Gaza, a drone strike near a school sheltering displaced people killed at least seven, while another strike in Zweida town killed seven, including four women and two children.
The new offensive marks Israel’s most extensive since ending an eight-week ceasefire in March. According to Israel’s military, its latest operations aim to dismantle Hamas infrastructure and further dissect the Gaza Strip. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties, citing the group’s alleged operations within populated areas.
Meanwhile, Israel is pressuring Hamas to accept a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of 58 remaining hostages. However, Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal and a clear path to ending the war before agreeing to any deal.
Public frustration is growing in Israel as the war continues. Some reservists are refusing military service, while weekly protests highlight the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza and call for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023—after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel killed 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 others—Israel’s military response has led to over 53,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.