Israel will allow limited food into Gaza amid military push

Israel will allow limited food shipments into Gaza as part of a slight easing of its blockade, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on May 18th. The announcement came shortly after the Israeli military revealed it had launched large-scale ground operations in both the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Under growing international criticism over its aid blockade and warnings of a potential famine, Israel has intensified its military offensive in Gaza. According to Palestinian health officials, hundreds have been killed in recent strikes over the past week, including 130 people in attacks on the evening of May 18th.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that, “At the recommendation of the Israeli army, 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”. 

Israel’s decision followed reports from both Israeli and Palestinian sources indicating that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Qatar had yielded no breakthrough.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the discussions covered a potential ceasefire, a hostage exchange, and a proposal to end the conflict in exchange for the exile of Hamas fighters and the disarmament of Gaza — conditions that Hamas has rejected in the past.

In a statement issued later, the Israeli military indicated it may scale back its operations to facilitate progress in the Doha negotiations. Military chief Eyal Zamir, speaking to troops stationed in Gaza, said the army would give political leaders “the flexibility they need to reach a hostage deal,” according to the statement.

The Israeli military also reported it had carried out initial airstrikes on over 670 Hamas targets in Gaza over the past week. These strikes were part of “Gideon’s Chariots,” a new ground campaign aimed at establishing “operational control” in parts of the territory. The army claimed it had killed dozens of Hamas fighters during the offensive.

At least 464 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during the week leading up to May 18th, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

“Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by (overnight) Israeli bombardment,” health ministry spokesperson Khalil Al-Deqran told Reuters by phone.

The ongoing Israeli offensive has left much of Gaza in ruins, displacing nearly all of its two million residents and killing more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza health authorities.

Since early March, Israel has halted the entry of medical supplies, food, and fuel into Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. The government has also approved plans that may include taking full control of the Gaza Strip and overseeing the distribution of aid.

Meanwhile, international experts have raised alarms over the increasing risk of famine in the enclave.

Asharq Al-Awsat/ Al Jazeera/ The Times of Israel/ Maghrebi.org