21.05.2025 (04:30 PM) Htate See

Israel to take control of Gaza as it expands military operation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 19 that Israel, which has stepped up its offensive in the Gaza Strip, will take control of the entire territory.

The announcement came a day after the Israeli prime minister’s office announced on May 18 that Israel had allowed food into the Gaza Strip after a two-month blockade.

The World Health Organization has warned that two million people in Gaza are already starving, with Israel blocking supplies since March 2. Israel, which has been increasingly divided over the humanitarian crisis, announced that it would allow limited aid into Gaza, and said the first five trucks entered on May 19. The trucks were carrying food for children, the ministry said.

The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said in a statement that nine trucks had been allowed to enter Gaza, but that number was a drop in the ocean for what was urgently needed.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who said he could not confirm the exact number of trucks in Gaza, said: “No aid has reached the area because the area is in darkness. We cannot operate in such conditions due to the security situation.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited practical and diplomatic reasons for reopening the aid. “The images of large numbers of people starving could undermine the legitimacy of the Israeli military effort,” Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that Israel, on the advice of the military, will allow food imports to Gaza to prevent starvation.