Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel will take full control of the Gaza Strip and defended his decision to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, saying it was necessary to prevent a humanitarian collapse that could jeopardize international support for the war effort.
“We must not reach a situation of famine,” Netanyahu said in a video statement alongside his adviser Topaz Luk. “Substantively and diplomatically, we won’t have support, and we won’t be able to complete the mission of victory.”
Netanyahu’s remarks come after weeks of internal government tensions, criticism from within his right-wing coalition, and his refusal to hold a vote in the security cabinet on the resumption of aid deliveries. He said the decision was driven by pressure from close U.S. allies, including Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump, who warned that images of mass starvation could undermine international backing.
“Even our strongest supporters told me, ‘We can give you weapons, support at the U.N., help in defeating Hamas. But one thing we can’t support is mass starvation,’” Netanyahu said.
Israel initially approved the delivery of limited aid into Gaza during the war, but later halted it after accusing Hamas of looting supplies. Netanyahu said the current plan, coordinated with the U.S., involves establishing secure distribution points controlled by the Israeli military to prevent Hamas access. Until those are operational—likely after May 24—Israel will temporarily revert to earlier methods that could allow Hamas to seize some of the aid.
“We’re working to create an area under IDF control where all Gaza residents can safely receive food and medicine,” he said. “This is happening alongside significant military pressure and a massive entry into Gaza to eliminate Hamas’s ability to loot aid.”
The plan was presented in the security cabinet on Sunday evening, but no vote was held. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded a vote, which was denied. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara backed the prime minister’s authority to proceed without one.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and other ministers reported heavy diplomatic pressure, not only from the U.S. but also from the European Union, to avoid a humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Eyal Zamir left the room after presenting the plan, and the meeting concluded with ministers voicing their views.
In the video, Netanyahu also made a veiled reference to a military operation earlier in the day in Khan Younis, reportedly an attempt to capture a senior Hamas operative alive. “Our fighters are doing an excellent job, including this morning,” he said.
He reiterated his goal of “combined victory”—defeating Hamas and securing the release of hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas-led militants that triggered the war.
The decision to resume aid sparked immediate backlash from members of Netanyahu’s coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, had previously warned he would leave the government if any aid reached Hamas. “Not a single grain of wheat will go to Hamas,” he declared last month. “That was the cardinal mistake in the first phase of the war.”
In a past interview, Smotrich called humanitarian aid “logistical support for the enemy,” and said it undermines Israel’s military achievements. On Monday, he announced he would make a “significant statement” following the aid decision.
Ben Gvir also denounced the move, saying, “Our hostages have no humanitarian aid,” and warning that any aid entering Gaza would “fuel Hamas while our hostages rot in tunnels.” Other Likud lawmakers echoed the criticism. MK Avichay Buaron called the decision “insanity,” while MK Moshe Saada said, “You can’t deploy five IDF divisions to destroy the enemy and at the same time give it food to survive.”
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Benny Gantz, leader of the opposition National Unity party, accused Netanyahu of hiding behind the military. “When things go wrong—‘the IDF recommended.’ When they go right—‘I gave the order,’” Gantz said. “This is what frightened leadership looks like in wartime.”
Aid deliveries are expected to begin immediately, as an interim measure until an American security company can begin distributing supplies in designated humanitarian areas. The IDF’s chief of staff proposed including northern Gaza and some combat zones in the aid delivery, but most ministers opposed the idea. A compromise was reached to send aid to other parts of the Strip not currently experiencing active fighting.
First published: 10:32, 05.19.25