Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the restart of aid to flow into the Gaza Strip on Sunday after international allies warned him of a “red line” over the humanitarian crisis. 

While Netanyahu initially claimed his decision was made at the recommendation of the Israel Defense Forces, he said Monday that the nearly three-month blockade was halted after he was warned that allied nations could stop supporting Israel over the “images of hunger” coming out of Gaza. 

“Israel will allow a basic quantity of food to be brought in for the population in order to make certain that no starvation crisis develops in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. 

“Such a crisis would endanger the continuation of ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots’ to defeat Hamas,” he added.

As part of the renewed flow of humanitarian aid, Netanyahu said Israel would occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip so as to ensure Hamas terrorists cannot steal the supplies from Palestinian refugees. 

Despite the order to allow aid trucks to enter Gaza for the first time in 11 weeks, Netanyahu maintained that only the “basic” amount would be allowed through. 

As of Monday evening, local time, only five UN trucks carrying aid, including baby food, were allowed to enter the Gaza Strip. 

The prime minister said the limited food deliveries will continue only until the IDF and private firms set up food-distributions hubs under the plan proposed by the Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed group. 

The GHF is set to begin operations at the end of the month to set up secure sites across Gaza to hand out humanitarian aid to Palestinians. 

“Through the GHF, we are building a secure, transparent system to deliver aid directly and effectively—without diversion or delay and in strict adherence to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,” GHF executive director Jake Wood said. 

The plan has garnered support from the Trump administration. It effectively sidelines international bodies such as the United Nations in favor of the private sector. 

The UN, however, has slammed the plan as not good enough, with Wood even admitting that at best, the program could only feed 60% of Gazans. 

The World Food Programme, which said it ran out of food for Gaza last month following the blockade order, has warned that the entire population in Gaza is food insecure, with an estimated 70,000 children in need of treatment for “acute malnutrition.”

While the WFP praised the limited renewed flow of aid into Gaza as a starting point, Netanyahu has faced backlash from far-right members of his coalition, accusing him of giving Hamas a lifeline. 

“Every truck that reaches Hamas in Gaza prolongs the war, strengthens Hamas, and endangers our fighters,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. 

“Any humanitarian aid that enters the Strip, certainly all of it, will fuel Hamas and give it oxygen,” addedIsraeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. 

With Post wires