Israel had to resume Gaza aid before famine concerns hit ‘red line,’ Netanyahu says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says pressure on Israel was “approaching a red line” necessitating the resumption of aid into Gaza in order to press ahead with its military offensive, despite the fact that IDF-secured distribution centers designed to keep the assistance out of the hands of Hamas are not yet ready.

“Senators I know as supporters of Israel… come to me and say, ‘We’ll give you all the help you need to win the war… but we can’t be receiving pictures of famine [in Gaza],” Netanyahu says in a video released on his personal Telegram channel.

Until the distribution centers are established, the premier states that Israel must provide minimal aid to the Strip in order to prevent mass starvation among the civilian population.

“In order to complete our victory, to defeat Hamas and free the hostages, we cannot reach a point of famine,” he says, addressing a tide of criticism over his decision to resume the humanitarian aid, which has been cut off since early March. “They won’t support us.”

Netanyahu explains that Israel initially permitted minimal aid into Gaza during the war but halted deliveries after discovering that Hamas was diverting supplies. In coordination with the United States, Israel has now adopted a new distribution method involving IDF-secured aid centers, intended to prevent Hamas from accessing the supplies while allowing American contractors to oversee distribution, he says.

“This takes time,” Netanyahu acknowledges, noting that the first centers will be operational in the coming days, with the broader goal of establishing a humanitarian zone within Gaza under Israeli control where civilians can receive aid.

He adds that Israel “is going to take over all of Gaza, that’s what we are going to do.”