Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Monday night that Israel is continuing to coordinate with international agencies, the US, and European countries to ensure a steady flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The statement came as Israel's Diplomatic-Security Cabinet convened amid reports that a decision on a full military takeover of Gaza may be imminent.
As part of efforts to facilitate aid deliveries, the Prime Minister's Office said the IDF is halting operations in central, densely populated areas of Gaza daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. In addition, designated safe corridors are being maintained from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to allow aid convoys safe passage. According to the statement, Israel is already permitting significant quantities of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza each day, including food, water, and medicine.
Accusations against Hamas
At the same time, Israel accused the Hamas terrorist organization of stealing aid from Gaza's civilian population and of shooting at Palestinian civilians. "Hamas, which openly uses civilians as human shields, operates from hospitals and stores weapons in schools and kindergartens. It has repeatedly stolen aid from the people of Gaza, even firing on Palestinians," the statement said.
The Prime Minister's Office claimed Hamas "benefits from perpetuating the perception of a humanitarian crisis" and disseminates "unverified numbers to the media, often accompanied by carefully staged or manipulated images."
The statement emphasized that Israel is fighting "a just war, a moral war, a war for our survival," referencing the October 7 massacre: "No country in the world would tolerate a terrorist group determined to destroy it continuing to rule after launching a murderous assault across its borders." It added that Hamas has boasted of its intention to repeat the October 7 massacre "again and again."
Tensions in the coalition
The announcement came against the backdrop of internal tensions within Israel's governing coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich canceled a closed party meeting he had planned for Monday night due to the cabinet session and messaged party members: "In wartime, political calculations are out of place." Smotrich previously said he would leave the government if aid was allowed into Gaza.
