'A drop in the ocean': Israel allows UN aid trucks to enter Gaza after 11 weeks

Israel has said it allowed five UN trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including baby food, into Gaza after an 11-week blockade,  BBC reported.

In response, the UN’s humanitarian chief said the aid was just “a drop in the ocean” compared to what the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza urgently need, as experts warn of a growing risk of famine amid ongoing strikes that continue to claim lives, including those of civilians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to let in a small amount of aid following pressure from US senators.

“We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint,” Netanyahu said, addressing growing criticism within Israel.

Netanyahu said food deliveries would continue only until the Israeli military and private companies set up centres to distribute aid as part of a US-backed plan that the UN has rejected. He also emphasised that Israeli forces would “take control of all areas” of Gaza in an expanded ground attack against Hamas, which started on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people across Gaza on Monday, according to first responders and hospitals.

Israel will ’take control of all’ Gaza: Netanyahu

As the Israeli military stepped up its offensive in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces will “ take control of all” the territory .

“The fighting is intense, and we are making progress. We will take control of the entire Strip,” he said in a video on his Telegram channel on Monday (May 19). “We will not give up. But to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.”

Although Netanyahu said Israel must prevent a famine in Gaza after allowing limited food aid, he did not clearly say it was for humanitarian reasons. The right-wing leader said preventing starvation was important for “diplomatic reasons.”