Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently declared that Israel will take full control of the Gaza Strip. He made this statement in a video message on Monday (May 19), as reported by Reuters.
Netanyahu stated that 58 Israeli hostages are still in the hands of Hamas in Gaza. He emphasized that Israel’s goal is to achieve “complete victory” by securing the release of these hostages and the total destruction of Hamas. Despite international pressure, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel would maintain control over all of Gaza.
The report further mentions that Israel launched a new military operation on Friday. On Monday, residents of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis were warned to evacuate toward the coast as Israel prepares for “unprecedented attacks” in the area.
Meanwhile, due to growing international concern and fears of food shortages, Netanyahu was forced to ease the aid blockade that was imposed in March. On Monday, Reuters journalists saw trucks carrying aid heading toward northern Gaza. However, it remains unclear how much aid will enter and how it will be distributed.
Israel claims that Hamas is stealing the aid entering Gaza, though Hamas has denied these accusations. Several European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have described the situation in Gaza as “intolerable.”
The United Nations has stated that at least 500 trucks of aid are needed in Gaza every day. According to the World Food Programme, over 116,000 metric tons of food aid are still waiting to enter Gaza, enough to feed one million people for four months.
The Israeli military reported that only five trucks entered Gaza on Monday, while the UN stated that nine trucks were allowed to pass, which the UN’s humanitarian aid chief, Tom Fletcher, described as “a drop in the ocean.”
