Jerusalem: Israel has announced it will permit limited food deliveries into Gaza, easing a blockade imposed in March, as its military launches extensive ground operations in both northern and southern parts of the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the decision to allow food came on the recommendation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and aimed to prevent a full-scale hunger crisis. “At the recommendation of the IDF, and out of the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting 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 statement read.
The move follows growing international pressure over Israel’s blockade and rising concerns about famine in Gaza, where over 500 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the past week alone, including 130 overnight.
Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher, confirmed that Israeli authorities had contacted the agency to “resume limited aid delivery,” though she noted that talks were ongoing due to the “conditions on the ground”.
Despite the humanitarian move, no progress has been reported in the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar. According to Netanyahu, the discussions involved potential ceasefire terms, a hostage deal, and a proposal to end the war in exchange for Hamas’s exile and the demilitarisation of Gaza—terms Hamas has previously rejected.
In a sign of potential tactical flexibility, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said forces would support national leaders by providing room to secure a hostage agreement.
Israel’s military reported it had struck over 670 Hamas targets over the past week in preparation for the “Gideon’s Chariots” ground operation, claiming to have killed dozens of Hamas fighters. The operation is intended to establish “operational control” over key areas in Gaza.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 464 Palestinians were killed in the week leading up to Sunday. “Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by (overnight) Israeli bombardment,” said ministry spokesperson Khalil Al-Deqran.
The broader conflict has left much of Gaza in ruins, displacing nearly all of its two million residents and killing over 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to local health authorities.
Since March, Israel has also blocked fuel, food, and medical supplies from entering Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. The Israeli cabinet is reportedly considering plans that would give it full control over Gaza and aid distribution, despite international warnings of impending famine.
Stalled Talks in Qatar
A Hamas official told Reuters, “Israel’s position remains unchanged, they want to release the prisoners (hostages) without a commitment to end the war.”
Hamas continues to propose releasing all Israeli hostages in exchange for an end to the conflict, a withdrawal of Israeli troops, the lifting of the aid blockade, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
A senior Israeli official confirmed no progress had been made in the negotiations.
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Israel’s stated objective remains the complete dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages.
At home, criticism of Netanyahu’s war strategy is mounting. Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said in a social media post, “The Israeli government still insists on only partial deals. They are deliberately tormenting us. Bring our children back already! All 58 of them.”
Escalating Strikes and Medical Collapse
One of Israel’s latest airstrikes hit a tent camp for displaced families in Khan Younis, killing women and children, wounding dozens, and setting tents ablaze, according to medics.
Later Sunday, the Gaza Health Ministry said the Indonesian Hospital—one of the last functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza—had ceased operations due to Israeli fire. The IDF stated that it was targeting “terrorist infrastructure sites” near the hospital.
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Meanwhile, speculation swirled in regional media that Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar may have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tunnel below a southern Gaza hospital. Hamas has not confirmed this.
The Gaza healthcare system is collapsing, with fuel shortages crippling ambulance services. “Hospitals are overwhelmed with a growing number of casualties, many are children,” said Al-Deqran. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said 75% of its ambulances are already non-functional and warned all vehicles may stop within 72 hours.
