Netanyahu approves immediate resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza during a security cabinet meeting earlier this evening.

In a statement confirming the decision, the Prime Minister’s Office says that it is being done “at the recommendation of the IDF and due to the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting to defeat Hamas.”

He says Israel “will allow the entry of a basic quantity of food for the population in order to prevent the development of a hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip,” as such a crisis “would endanger the continued operation to defeat Hamas.”

“Israel will act to deny Hamas the ability to seize control of the distribution of humanitarian aid in order to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas terrorists,” he concludes.

The move comes amid increasing international pressure for Israel to end its months-long blockade on aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip and thus prevent a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Israel has thus far refused to do so, saying Hamas has been stealing the aid to benefit its own members, and that it won’t resume deliveries until a new mechanism has been put in place to circumvent Hamas

However, according to the Walla news site, the resumed transfer of aid will be facilitated through several international organizations, including the UN World Food Programme and the World Central Kitchen, until the new US and Israel-backed mechanism begins operating later this month.

According to Ynet, Netanyahu informed the security cabinet that it was necessary to resume the deliveries at once due to growing pressure from the US.

He did not hold a formal vote on the issue, as would generally be expected, and instead informed the cabinet that this was what had been decided.