Israel has announced it will allow a “basic quantity of food” into Gaza after a 10-week blockade, responding to growing international pressure and humanitarian concerns. The limited easing comes as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) escalate “extensive ground operations” across the Gaza Strip under a renewed military campaign dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariot. The decision was taken “to ensure no starvation crisis develops”, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, and is aimed at preventing disruptions to Israel’s broader military objectives.
However, humanitarian agencies warn that the measure falls far short. Aid organizations have reported famine conditions among Gaza’s 2.1 million residents, with images of severely malnourished children and growing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called for “immediate, massive and unhampered” aid access to avert catastrophe. The Israeli government stressed it would prevent Hamas from commandeering aid, a recurring concern in its control of distribution mechanisms in Gaza.
Escalating Conflict and Humanitarian Collapse
In parallel with the aid announcement, Israeli air and ground strikes intensified on Sunday, targeting key locations across Gaza:
- Khan Younis in the south, Beit Lahia and the Jabalia refugee camp in the north were bombarded.
- A designated “safe zone” in al-Mawasi was reportedly hit, killing 22 and injuring 100, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
- Three major public hospitals in northern Gaza, including the Indonesian Hospital, were declared out of service. IDF tanks reportedly surrounded and fired at the hospital, trapping 55 people inside.
The Hamas-run health ministry reported 67 deaths and 361 injuries in the past 24 hours. Hospitals across the territory are crumbling under the weight of strikes and resource shortages. The closure of the Indonesian Hospital has directly impacted services at al-Awda Hospital, which depended on it for oxygen and ICU support. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes also targeted the European Hospital in Khan Younis, with Israel claiming it was attacking a Hamas command centre allegedly located beneath the facility. Israeli media report the strike aimed to eliminate Mohammed Sinwar, brother of top Hamas figure Yahya Sinwar.
Ceasefire Talks Falter
Despite parallel ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, little progress has been made, with both sides blaming each other for the impasse. Netanyahu’s office has said a deal must include the release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas leaders, and the disarmament of Gaza. But a senior Hamas official told the BBC that Israel’s delegation “lacks the mandate” to agree to a comprehensive deal, which Hamas insists must involve a permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has reportedly offered to release all hostages in exchange for these conditions, rejecting Israel’s push for a phased release in return for a temporary truce. Currently, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with up to 23 believed to be alive. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum warns that intensified military actions may be worsening their conditions, citing testimonies of physical abuse, restraints, and starvation post-strike.
The Bigger Picture
The war, triggered by the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 and saw over 250 hostages taken, has now claimed over 53,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Israel says its expanded military campaign aims to “achieve all the war’s objectives”: the destruction of Hamas, the rescue of hostages, and long-term security. But international pressure is mounting to balance military aims with humanitarian obligations.
With hospitals collapsing, starvation looming, and no breakthrough in peace talks, Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian crisis, even as the region awaits signs of a political resolution.
