Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has authorized the immediate renewal of humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, following a security cabinet session held earlier this evening.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office explained the move, noting that it was “at the recommendation of the IDF and due to the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting to defeat Hamas.”
Netanyahu emphasized that the aid would be limited to basic food supplies aimed at avoiding a hunger emergency in Gaza, warning that such a crisis “would endanger the continued operation to defeat Hamas.” He added, “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.”
This development follows mounting global calls for Israel to ease its restrictions on aid to Gaza, as humanitarian conditions in the region continue to deteriorate.
Up until now, Israel has resisted opening the aid corridors, arguing that Hamas has been diverting the supplies for its own use. Israeli officials maintained that aid could not resume until a reliable method to bypass Hamas was established.
According to reporting by Walla, the resumed aid transfers will now be managed by various international groups, such as the UN World Food Programme and the World Central Kitchen, until the new distribution mechanism supported by both the U.S. and Israel becomes operational later this month.
Ynet reports that Netanyahu informed cabinet members that he had made the decision in response to growing pressure from the United States. Notably, he bypassed the usual procedure of calling a vote and simply announced the move to the cabinet.
Netanyahu’s decision has provoked fierce backlash from the political right, with opponents accusing him of endangering the war effort.
“Every humanitarian aid that enters the Strip, and definitely all parts of it, will fuel Hamas and give it oxygen while our hostages languish in tunnels,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who previously left the government in protest over a ceasefire deal, only to return once combat resumed. “The prime minister is making a grave mistake with this move, which doesn’t even have a majority,” Ben Gvir added. “We must crush Hamas and not simultaneously give it oxygen.”
Ben Gvir also posted on X, writing: “Mr. Prime Minister, our hostages have no humanitarian [aid]!”
Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, from Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, voiced similar frustration, stating: “This is our tragedy with Netanyahu’s approach. A leader who could have led to a clear victory and been remembered as the one who defeated radical Islam, but who time after time lets this historic opportunity slip away. Letting humanitarian aid in now directly harms the war effort to achieve victory and another obstacle to the release of the hostages.”
The Tikva Forum, representing families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, condemned the aid decision in harsh terms. “We are shocked by the decision to give Hamas a gift without getting anything back, while our loved ones have been starved for almost 600 days,” the forum declared.
They urged Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to intervene, warning: “If a drop of supplies gets to the enemy, this isn’t only a betrayal of the hostages, but also a stab in the back of the IDF fighters who are currently risking their lives in the war.”
Some members of Netanyahu’s own Likud party have also criticized the policy shift. MK Avichai Boaron remarked, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We mustn’t hand humanitarian aid to the enemy, we mustn’t hesitate.”
MK Moshe Saada denounced the decision as both wrong and immoral, especially when considered alongside the IDF’s current large-scale mobilization. “We should be totally eradicating Hamas and not helping it survive,” he said.
Opposition figure Benny Gantz of the National Unity party accused Netanyahu of shirking responsibility by hiding behind military recommendations. “When it’s uncomfortable — ‘The IDF recommended.’ In successes — ‘I gave the order.’ This is a frightened leadership that is incapable of standing behind its own decisions, and national irresponsibility during wartime. Israeli citizens deserve a different leadership that knows how to stand before the public and speak the truth, even when it’s difficult,” said Gantz.
Meanwhile, the activist group Tzav 9, known for physically blocking aid shipments to Gaza, has urged its members to restart those efforts. “Netanyahu, this is on you. Hamas can’t be pampered and given aid until the last hostage is back here,” said the organization, which was previously sanctioned by the Biden administration before the Trump administration reversed the decision.

{Matzav.com Israel}