Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday, 19 May, that Israel would permit a “basic amount” of food aid into the Gaza Strip, following over two months of a total blockade that had severely restricted the entry of food, fuel, and medicine. The announcement came shortly after the Israeli military initiated “extensive ground operations” in Gaza, marking a new escalation in the conflict. It also took place alongside ongoing indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a potential ceasefire. Netanyahu’s office stated that, following a recommendation from the military, Israel will allow “a basic quantity of food to be brought in for the population” of Gaza to “make certain no starvation crisis develops,” despite it interfering with their new offensive plan. They would also “act to deny Hamas’s ability to take control of the distribution of humanitarian assistance.” While Israel has said the blockade, in place since March 2, is intended to pressure Hamas into making concessions, UN agencies have raised alarms over severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, clean water, fuel, and medical aid ,with the potential for famine among Gaza’s 2.1 million residents. French Foreign Minister…
