Israel has announced it will ease its blockade on Gaza and allow limited food aid into the war-torn enclave, amid growing international concern over the risk of famine and an escalating humanitarian catastrophe.
The decision, revealed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday, comes as the Israeli military launches new “extensive ground operations” in both the northern and southern regions of Gaza, part of a broader campaign against Hamas.
“Following a recommendation by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], and out of operational necessity to enable intensified combat to defeat Hamas, 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 Prime Minister’s Office said.
The move follows weeks of international pressure over Israel’s aid blockade, which was imposed in March and has since sharply limited the flow of essential supplies such as food, medical equipment, and fuel into the Gaza Strip.
Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, confirmed that Israeli authorities had approached the agency to “resume limited aid delivery,” though she cautioned that discussions were ongoing regarding logistics “given the conditions on the ground.”
A Palestinian staff member inspects the medicine warehouse in Nasser Hospital after an Israeli strike, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Aid Amid Escalation
According to Reuters, the aid decision comes as Gaza faces worsening violence and devastation. The Israeli military said it struck more than 670 Hamas targets in the past week as part of “Gideon’s Chariots,” a new ground offensive aimed at achieving operational control in key areas of Gaza. Dozens of Hamas fighters were reported killed.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 464 Palestinians have been killed in the past week alone, including 130 in overnight airstrikes. According to health officials, total fatalities since the conflict began have exceeded 53,000, with the majority being civilians. Nearly the entire population of Gaza—around two million people—has been displaced.
One of the overnight Israeli strikes hit a tent camp housing displaced families in Khan Younis, killing women and children and igniting fires that engulfed the shelters. In the north, the Indonesian Hospital—one of the last partially functioning medical centers—ceased operations due to nearby Israeli fire.
“Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children,” said Khalil Al-Deqran, spokesperson for Gaza’s Health Ministry. He added that fuel shortages are crippling emergency services, with 75% of ambulances out of service and full shutdown expected within 72 hours if fuel is not supplied.
Stalled Truce Talks
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 18, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Despite the humanitarian concessions, peace remains elusive. New indirect talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas have yielded no breakthrough. Sources on both sides confirm that while there has been discussion of a truce and hostage deal, key disagreements persist.
Israel is reportedly demanding the release of its hostages without agreeing to end the war, instead proposing Hamas exile and Gaza’s demilitarization—terms Hamas has previously rejected. In contrast, Hamas has continued to insist on a complete Israeli withdrawal, an end to the blockade, and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that “no progress” had been made in the talks so far. Meanwhile, Israel’s military leadership indicated some flexibility, suggesting that operations could be scaled back to support political negotiations in Doha.
Domestic and International Pressure
The humanitarian toll and the unresolved hostage crisis are fuelling political tension inside Israel. Families of hostages have accused the government of prioritizing military objectives over the safe return of captives.
“The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them,” wrote Einav Zangauker, the mother of a hostage, in a social media post.
Israel’s stated objective in Gaza remains the elimination of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, following the October 7, 2023 attack in which Hamas killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages.
