Jerusalem/Gaza — Israel said on Sunday it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza for the first time in nearly three months, as it launched its largest ground offensive since the collapse of the last ceasefire, killing over 100 Palestinians in a single day of airstrikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet approved the delivery of “basic” food supplies into the besieged enclave of more than two million people, following warnings from global food security experts of impending famine. The Israeli military did not say when or how aid would be delivered, and humanitarian agencies said they were still awaiting further details.
“The starvation crisis could undermine our military objectives,” Netanyahu said, adding that aid deliveries would be monitored to prevent access by Hamas militants.
Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza on March 2, halting all food, medicine, and fuel as part of its pressure campaign to force Hamas to accept new ceasefire terms. A two-month truce was shattered days later, leading to a resumption of hostilities.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military announced “extensive” ground operations across northern and southern Gaza. Airstrikes killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children and women, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and local hospitals.
In Khan Younis in the south, at least 48 people were killed, among them 18 children and 13 women, Nasser Hospital reported. In northern Gaza, two strikes in Jabaliya killed a total of 19 people, including entire families, emergency services said.
The Health Ministry said nearly 3,000 people have died since the latest truce collapsed. Since the start of the war in October 2023, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, it added — a toll that includes both civilians and combatants but lacks distinction between the two.
Israel’s military said its latest offensive targeted over 670 sites across the territory and was focused on dismantling Hamas infrastructure. It blamed civilian casualties on the group’s operations in densely populated areas. The army had reportedly delayed the operation until the conclusion of U.S. President Donald Trump’s regional visit, which ended Friday without a stop in Israel.
In a statement, the military said it was now working to “dissect” the Gaza Strip with renewed ground incursions. Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up in recent days.
The Indonesian Hospital, the last major medical facility operating in northern Gaza, was forced to shut down due to direct strikes and what its director called an Israeli “siege.” Around 30 patients and 15 medical personnel remained trapped inside, according to Dr. Marwan al-Sultan.
“There is direct targeting on the hospital, including the intensive care unit,” he said in a statement.
Israel has accused Hamas of operating from hospitals, while rights groups and UN-backed experts have warned that Israel’s actions amount to systematic destruction of Gaza’s health care system.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said it had received 27 bodies from recent strikes, including 15 children and 12 women. In a separate drone attack near a school sheltering displaced residents northwest of Gaza City, at least seven Palestinians were killed, the Health Ministry said.
Negotiations in Qatar remain ongoing. Israel has demanded a temporary truce in exchange for the release of the remaining 58 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, as well as Hamas’ exile from Gaza and full disarmament. Hamas has rejected those terms, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent end to the war.
“When the Jews want a truce, Hamas refuses, and when Hamas wants a truce, the Jews refuse it,” said Abu Mohammad Yassin, a resident of Jabaliya fleeing the fighting by donkey cart. “For God’s sake, have mercy on us. We are tired of displacement.”
Inside Israel, public dissatisfaction is mounting. A small but growing number of reservists are refusing to report for duty, risking imprisonment. Weekly demonstrations have included displays of photos of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, with some protesters demanding an immediate deal to free hostages and end the war.
The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has devastated the Gaza Strip, leaving entire neighborhoods flattened and over half the population displaced.
Arab leaders on Sunday reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and pledged to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza once hostilities cease.
