Netanyahu Agrees to ‘Minimal Amount’ of Gaza Aid After Global Pressure/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that limited humanitarian aid would resume entering Gaza after pressure from international allies. Facing growing outrage over starvation images and mounting civilian casualties, Israel agreed to let in minimal supplies, though none have entered yet. Aid groups remain skeptical of Israel’s new distribution plan, fearing it won’t reach those most in need.
Netanyahu and Gaza Aid: Quick Looks
- Netanyahu confirms aid resumption due to ally pressure over “images of hunger.”
- Aid plan includes a “minimal” amount, with no immediate delivery timeline.
- International allies, including U.S. officials, urged Israel to prevent famine.
- Israeli military launching new Gaza offensive to pressure Hamas.
- Distribution will shift to hubs secured by Israeli forces, backed by U.S. support.
- Aid groups say the new delivery plan is impractical and ethically flawed.
- No aid entered Gaza as of Monday; trucks seen retreating.
- Undercover Israeli raid in Khan Younis killed six, including a militant leader.
- Israeli airstrike on school-shelter killed five civilians, mostly children.
- Gaza death toll surpasses 53,000 since war began in October 2023.
Netanyahu Agrees to ‘Minimal Amount’ of Gaza Aid After Global Pressure
Deep Look
Netanyahu Resumes Minimal Gaza Aid After U.S. and Global Allies Demand Action
TEL AVIV, Israel — Under mounting pressure from international allies and amid warnings of an imminent famine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel will allow limited humanitarian aid into Gaza. The decision follows a weeks-long blockade that sparked condemnation from the United Nations, European leaders, and humanitarian organizations.
Netanyahu admitted the move came reluctantly and was triggered by concerns voiced by Israel’s “greatest friends,” who warned that continued images of mass starvation in Gaza would erode diplomatic support.
“We cannot accept images of hunger,” Netanyahu quoted allies as saying in a video posted on social media. “To achieve victory, we need to somehow solve the problem.”
Political Balancing Act
Netanyahu’s statement appeared aimed at appeasing both Israel’s allies abroad and his far-right governing coalition at home, who had previously opposed any form of aid to Gaza. At least one ultra-nationalist minister said he accepted the decision begrudgingly, highlighting the growing friction within Netanyahu’s coalition.
Though the prime minister promised a “minimal” amount of aid, he did not provide a clear timeline or logistical details. As of Monday, no aid trucks had entered Gaza, despite earlier reports of shipments. An AP photographer saw several aid trucks near the border — but they later returned to Israel.
A U.N. official anonymously confirmed that a 20-truck convoy loaded mostly with food was expected, but progress remained stalled.
Aid Strategy: New Plan, Same Concerns
Israel’s government says the new plan, developed with U.S. support, will rely on centralized distribution “hubs” inside Gaza, where aid can be managed securely and without interference from Hamas, which Israel accuses of diverting supplies for militant purposes.
Netanyahu framed the approach as a necessary evolution in strategy: “We’re taking control of all of Gaza. That includes aid delivery.”
But aid organizations are deeply skeptical. They argue the hub model is unrealistic, dangerous, and inconsistent with humanitarian principles. Some have refused to participate in the new system, citing concerns it will bypass the most vulnerable populations in need.
U.S. Growing More Vocal on Gaza Crisis
While the Trump administration has largely supported Israel’s military goals, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have become more vocal in recent weeks about the growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
On a recent Middle East trip, Trump didn’t visit Israel but warned about the “optics” of the humanitarian crisis. Rubio, speaking in Turkey, said he was “troubled” by the suffering in Gaza and emphasized the importance of humanitarian law.
New Offensive, Ongoing Bloodshed
Despite the aid announcement, Israel’s military campaign continues to intensify. On Monday, Israeli forces ordered new evacuations in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, as they launched a renewed air and ground offensive aimed at pressuring Hamas into accepting a ceasefire deal.
At the same time, violence continued on the ground, including a daring undercover Israeli raid in Khan Younis that killed Ahmed Sarhan, a senior commander of the Popular Resistance Committees. Palestinian witnesses said the unit disguised itself as displaced civilians and entered under air cover, killing at least six, including Sarhan. His wife and child were detained.
In Nuseirat, an Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter, killing five people, including a woman and a child. At least 18 others were wounded, mostly children, according to Al-Awda Hospital.
The Israeli military has not commented on either incident.
War Toll and Humanitarian Collapse
The war in Gaza began October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military response has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry — many of them women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
With humanitarian infrastructure in ruins and food systems collapsed, famine is now a looming threat. Food insecurity experts say millions are at risk, and the current aid level — if it even begins — won’t be nearly enough
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