In a rare move following nearly three months of total blockade, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel has allowed a small humanitarian convoy of five UN trucks carrying essential aid—including infant food—into the Gaza Strip. This comes after 11 weeks of complete restriction on aid, during which humanitarian organizations have warned of an imminent famine and widespread suffering among Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
But while the gesture may appear conciliatory, Netanyahu clarified that the decision was not driven by humanitarian concern, but by intense political pressure from key allies in the U.S. Senate, particularly senior members of Congress supportive of Israel.
“We don’t want to reach a famine situation,” Netanyahu said in a press conference on Monday, defending the move amid criticism from Israeli hardliners who oppose any aid to Gaza.
The temporary opening was reportedly influenced by pressure from the U.S., particularly lawmakers and defense officials concerned about the optics and moral implications of a full-blown humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Washington is also under growing international scrutiny over its military and diplomatic support for Israel amid the months-long war with Hamas.
The Biden administration, which has publicly called for humanitarian pauses and warned of the consequences of total siege warfare, has reportedly pushed behind the scenes for at least minimal aid access to prevent an irreversible disaster.
The five UN trucks allowed into Gaza carried primarily children’s food supplies, though full details of the convoy’s contents have not been made public. Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, cautiously welcomed the move, calling it “a small drop in an ocean of need.”
“This is not a solution,” Griffiths said. “It’s a token measure in the face of catastrophic conditions. The people of Gaza need sustained, large-scale humanitarian access—not symbolic gestures.”
International aid groups have been warning of a massive food insecurity crisis, with hospitals shutting down, water infrastructure destroyed, and civilian neighborhoods leveled in Israeli air and ground operations that began after the October 2024 Hamas attacks.
The announcement comes amid Israel’s intensified ground offensive in Rafah, the last remaining refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans. Over the weekend, Israel launched a new phase of its military campaign, with Netanyahu declaring that Israeli forces will “take control of all areas” of Gaza, signaling no immediate end to hostilities.
The aid authorization appears to be a tactical concession to deflect growing international condemnation, especially from humanitarian organizations and influential Western partners.
Critics argue that allowing five trucks of food into a besieged territory housing millions is “cynical optics” rather than a genuine shift in policy. In comparison, prior to the conflict, Gaza used to receive hundreds of aid trucks daily to meet basic needs.
Netanyahu emphasized that the aid delivery will continue only under strict conditions: food distribution must be managed by Israeli forces or private companies—a plan backed by the U.S. but rejected by the United Nations on grounds of impartiality and operational viability.
This condition raises serious concerns about the militarization and politicization of aid, with analysts warning that such control mechanisms may render humanitarian efforts ineffective or even dangerous for aid workers.
“This is not aid—it’s a weaponized logistical arrangement,” said one senior humanitarian official speaking anonymously. “Distributing food under military rule undermines humanitarian neutrality.”
The move has triggered backlash inside Israel, particularly among far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition, who oppose any form of relief to Gaza as long as Hamas remains in power. Others accuse the Prime Minister of succumbing to international pressure, thereby weakening Israel’s military stance.
Meanwhile, Palestinians and international advocates argue that the humanitarian gesture is too little, too late, and does nothing to reverse the devastating impact of the ongoing war—which, according to health authorities in Gaza, has killed over 30,000 people, most of them civilians.
Despite the gesture, no long-term humanitarian corridor or ceasefire agreement appears imminent. Netanyahu has vowed to press on with military operations, asserting that “total victory” over Hamas is non-negotiable. The situation on the ground remains volatile, with humanitarian agencies warning that without sustained aid and a ceasefire, the risk of mass starvation, epidemics, and societal collapse in Gaza will escalate drastically.