TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After nearly 80 days or three months of a complete blockade that has severely hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, Israel will permit the entry of only nine aid trucks into Gaza, according to Israeli media reports on Monday, May 19, 2025.
"Nine trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including baby food, will enter Gaza via Israel in the coming hours," said Ghassan Alian, head of the Israeli military’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), in a statement to Army Radio, as reported by Anadolu.
According to the radio report, the trucks will deliver aid to warehouses operated by international organizations, which will then distribute the supplies to Palestinian residents.
Since March 2, Israel has kept all border crossings into Gaza closed for the delivery of food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies—worsening what various government bodies, human rights groups, and international organizations have described as an escalating humanitarian catastrophe.
World Bank data indicates that the entire population of Gaza—nearly 2.4 million people—is now reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival.
On Sunday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would allow the entry of “a large amount of staple foods” to Gaza “to prevent the emergence of famine.”
Netanyahu warned that famine "could endanger the continuation of Operation Gideon's Chariot," referring to a renewed phase of Israeli ground operations in northern and southern Gaza.
He added that the limited aid entry would facilitate Israel’s expansion of the military campaign, which resumed on Saturday.
According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, an unnamed official said the move to permit aid is temporary and expected to last about one week.
This temporary opening comes amid efforts to set up aid distribution centers, primarily in southern Gaza, managed by the Israeli military and operated by U.S. security contractors. However, the initiative has faced criticism from the UN and international aid groups for failing to meet established humanitarian standards.
NBC News reported that Israel launched its most extensive military assault since the March ceasefire, aiming to take control of Gaza and forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of its residents.
While Israel has pushed Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire for hostage releases, it has refused to commit to ending the war. Hamas insists that any agreement must include a full Israeli withdrawal and a framework to conclude hostilities.
Just days before resuming its offensive in March, Israel halted all shipments of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods to Gaza. The blockade, now in its third month, has prompted international food security experts to warn of an impending famine in the besieged territory.
Meanwhile, dissent within Israel has grown. A small number of Israelis are refusing military service, even at the risk of imprisonment, while others have joined weekly protests displaying images of Palestinian children killed in Gaza and calling for a hostage deal and an end to the war.
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