Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would “take control” of the entire Gaza Strip. His statement came as the Israeli military continued its intensified campaign in the war-torn region.
Netanyahu, in a Telegram video, stated, “The fighting is intense, and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip. We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.”
Food Aid and International Pressure
Israel recently agreed to allow a “basic amount” of food into Gaza. Netanyahu explained that preventing famine was important for “practical and diplomatic reasons,” noting that even Israel’s allies would not tolerate “images of mass starvation.”
The blockade, imposed on March 2, aimed to pressure Hamas. However, the UN and NGOs warned that the blockade caused critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel, and medicine. A recent report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification stated that 22% of Gaza’s population faces an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
Global Reactions and Statements
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that two million people in Gaza are starving. He blamed the worsening food crisis on the continued blockage of humanitarian aid. “Two months into the latest blockade, two million people are starving,” Tedros said. He highlighted that 160,000 metric tonnes of food sit just minutes from Gaza’s border, unable to enter.
Last week, former U.S. President Donald Trump said, “A lot of people are starving. We’re going to get that taken care of.” Pope Leo XIV also called attention to the crisis, saying, “In Gaza, the surviving children, families, and elderly are reduced to starvation.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized Netanyahu’s decision. He said on X, “The Prime Minister is making a serious mistake… Hamas must only be crushed, not given oxygen for survival.”
Military Campaign and Negotiations
On Monday, the Israeli military said its air force struck 160 terror targets in Gaza. The ongoing campaign aims to free hostages and defeat Hamas. Indirect talks in Qatar continue, with Steve Witkoff acting as the U.S. envoy. Any deal would include hostage releases, Hamas exile, and Gaza’s disarmament.
Airstrikes killed at least 22 people across Gaza, including 11 in Khan Yunis. Civil defense reported heavy casualties and destroyed homes. “All my family members are gone,” said Warda al-Shaer. “The children were killed, their parents, and even my mother.”
The Gaza health ministry reported 3,193 deaths since March 18, with a total death toll of 53,339. Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,218 people in Israel and took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza—34 presumed dead.
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