Israel eases Gaza blockade to allow minimal food supplies amid renewed military offensive
The announcement came shortly after the IDF confirmed it had launched extensive ground operations across Gaza
After a 10-week blockade, Israel has announced it will permit a "basic amount of food" into Gaza to prevent a starvation crisis. The move, recommended by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), aims to support its ongoing military operations against Hamas.
The announcement came shortly after the IDF confirmed it had launched extensive ground operations across Gaza. Israel has faced mounting international pressure to lift the blockade, which has halted the entry of food, fuel, and medicine. Humanitarian agencies have warned of an impending famine, with reports and images of severely malnourished children emerging from the territory, home to 2.1 million people.
France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israel to immediately and fully resume humanitarian aid access. However, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office emphasized that Israel would act to prevent Hamas from seizing control of aid distribution, adding that the allowance of food was intended to avoid a humanitarian disaster that could undermine its military campaign, dubbed Operation Gideon's Chariot.
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Meanwhile, Israeli forces struck several areas in Gaza on Sunday, including Khan Younis in the south and Beit Lahia and Jabalia refugee camp in the north. Gaza's health ministry, run by Hamas, reported at least 67 deaths and over 360 injuries in the past 24 hours. The civil defense agency said an overnight strike on al-Mawasi—a designated "safe zone"—killed 22 people and injured 100 others.
Severe shortages leave Gaza City residents without water, bread, or basic necessities
In a sweeping evacuation order, the Israeli army warned it would target any area used for launching rockets and urged civilians to seek shelter in al-Mawasi.
Three public hospitals in North Gaza have now ceased operations, including the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, which reportedly came under tank fire from Israeli forces on Sunday night. Medical staff said no evacuation warning had been given, and the hospital was housing immobile patients and limited personnel at the time of the attack.
The IDF claimed its operations targeted terrorist infrastructure near the hospital, while Gaza's health ministry accused Israel of besieging the facility and forcing it out of service.
As the conflict escalates, ceasefire talks continue in Qatar, though with little progress. Israeli officials say they are pursuing all options for a deal that would include the release of all hostages, the removal of Hamas fighters from Gaza, and the group's disarmament.
However, a senior Hamas source told the BBC that negotiations remain stalled due to Israeli "intransigence." Hamas reportedly offered to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal, and entry of humanitarian aid—terms that Israel has so far rejected, seeking only a temporary truce in exchange for hostages.
