Israel's Gaza Offensive Amid Humanitarian Crisis

Israel has announced it will allow a "basic amount of food" into Gaza to prevent a hunger crisis, after a 10-week blockade that has raised concerns of famine among the territory's 2.1 million population. The move comes as Israel launched "extensive ground operations" in Gaza, with the military saying it aims to free hostages held by Hamas and defeat the group. The blockade has been criticized by aid agencies and foreign governments, with the French foreign minister calling for the "immediate, massive and unhampered" resumption of aid to Gaza. At least 67 people have been killed and 361 injured in Gaza in the last 24 hours, with three public hospitals in the North Gaza governorate now "out of action". Negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar, but a senior Hamas source said "no breakthrough or progress has been achieved so far" due to Israeli intransigence.

Israel has launched a new military operation, "Operation Gideon Chariots," in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying it is being led with "great force." The operation comes as a humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza, with over 3,000 people killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, and a severe food crisis with at least 14,000 children malnourished. The Israeli government has imposed a blockade on Gaza for over two months, which has led to warnings of rapidly dwindling fuel, food, and medicine supplies. Meanwhile, Qatari and Egyptian-led negotiations to broker a ceasefire are underway in Doha, with US support, as mediators attempt to reach a deal to release the remaining hostages and end the blockade.

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 103 people, with many of the dead being women and children, as Israel intensified its war in the territory. The strikes forced the main hospital in northern Gaza to close, and a new Israeli ground operation was launched, aimed at putting pressure on Hamas to release hostages. The Israeli military said troops were operating against "terror infrastructure sites" in northern Gaza. The violence comes as mediators from the US and Qatar push for a ceasefire deal, with the US Secretary of State saying the US is "actively engaged" in trying to secure the release of hostages and potentially end the war, which has killed over 53,000 Palestinians since it began in October 2023.

Israel has launched a ground offensive in Gaza after weeks of airstrikes, with hundreds killed, amid a dire humanitarian crisis. The Israeli government's strategy is to "conquer and hold" territory, potentially permanently, but this has narrowed its options and increased the likelihood of prolonged fighting. Forcing 2 million Gazans into a small area around Rafah will worsen the humanitarian crisis, for which Israel will be blamed. The Israeli government's insistence on continuing the fight until "total victory" makes a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas unlikely, and there is skepticism within Israel that the current strategy will succeed. Gaza is now at the mercy of what comes next.

Israel has agreed to allow a "basic quantity of food" into Gaza to prevent a "starvation crisis" after a near three-month blockade on humanitarian aid. The decision was made to enable the expansion of Israel's military operation against Hamas. Gaza has been under a complete blockade since March 2, with local authorities reporting over 53,000 deaths in the 19-month conflict, and global experts warning of famine and starvation among the population. The Israeli Prime Minister's office stated that Israel will also act to prevent Hamas from controlling the distribution of humanitarian aid.