Israel says it will allow ‘basic amount’ of humanitarian aid into Gaza

Israel says it will allow a “basic amount” of humanitarian aid into Gaza to avoid a famine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said, more than two months after Israel imposed a total blockade on goods that has left much of the Gaza Strip’s population facing starvation.

“Due to the need to expand the fighting, we will introduce a basic amount of food to the residents of Gaza to ensure no famine occurs,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

“A famine might jeopardise the continuation of Operation Gideon’s Chariots aimed at eliminating Hamas.”

The PM’s office said that Israel would prevent Hamas from controlling the distribution of aid to ensure that it does not reach fighters.

It was not immediately clear when aid would enter Gaza, or how.

US says it won’t allow humanitarian disaster in Gaza

Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March. Health experts are warning that famine is imminent if the war isn’t stopped and aid deliveries resumed.

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said the United States won’t allow a worsening disaster to come to fruition in Gaza.

“We do not want to see a humanitarian crisis, and we will not allow it to occur on President Trump’s watch,” Witkoff told ABC News.

The Israeli military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

It's been a humanitarian disaster for over a year, you just want the news to settle down again.

Ben-Gvir says Israeli decision to allow aid into Gaza a ‘grave mistake’

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has denounced Netanyahu’s move to allow aid into Gaza as a “grave mistake”.

“Any humanitarian aid that enters Gaza will benefit Hamas while the hostages suffer in the tunnels,” Ben-Gvir said.

“Netanyahu is making a grave mistake by deciding to bring in aid, and he doesn’t even have a majority for the decision. Hamas must be crushed, not given the means to survive.”

Unclear when ‘minimal’ aid will start entering starved Gaza

Israel will now allow the flow of humanitarian aid back into Gaza after a near 12-week blockade of humanitarian assistance.

They’re going to allow the minimum amount of food “to ensure a hunger crisis does not develop”. It’s worth mentioning this hunger crisis has already ensued. The population has been starving. Once the ceasefire stopped, Israel completely blocked all aid.

We’re not just talking about food. We’re talking about water, medical supplies, fuel for hospitals. None of that has entered Gaza in nearly three months. There’s been a lot of pressure on the prime minister, on the Israelis from a lot of international partners.

You even had Donald Trump say “people are starving in Gaza”. Because of this pressure, Netanyahu finally decided to allow aid back in. But what the Israelis are saying is this will be a minimum amount of aid, just food, and it’s unclear still when exactly this will take place.

France says aid to Gaza must be ‘immediate, massive, and unhindered’

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that as Israel has finally announced the resumption of some goods to the Gaza Strip after months of total blockade, the entry of aid to the Strip “must be immediate, massive, and unhindered”.

He said in a post on X that the aid “must put an end to the catastrophic humanitarian situation and definitively halt the famine”.


_{A convoy of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid supplies for Gaza waits in Egypt}

‘American pressure’ likely led to Israeli government letting aid in

Yousef Munayyer from the Arab Center Washington DC says the timing of Israel’s announcement that it will allow “basic” aid into Gaza comes as pressure mounts and famine warnings rise.

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said the move was made to assist the expansion of its military action in Gaza, but “that obviously does not make sense”, Munayyer told Al Jazeera.

“The timing suggests this was not an announcement that was planned. What all of this suggests is that there’s been some pressure, particularly American pressure, on the Israeli government to let this aid in. Aid has been completely blocked for more than 78 days, and we’re seeing really scary images of starvation and malnutrition, particularly affecting the most vulnerable in Palestinian society.”

Yep too much of the daily misery is leaking into the mainstream media. Got to get the media back to ignoring the daily war crimes.

Israeli High Court delays Gaza media access hearing for sixth time

Israel’s High Court of Justice has postponed a hearing set for May 21 on a petition for independent media access to Gaza, the Times of Israel reports.

The court did not provide a reason for the postponement or set a new date to hear the petition filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents international journalists working in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Israel has prevented all international journalists from reporting independently inside Gaza since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

While the IDF kills another 5 journalists in Gaza today.

Israel’s aid announcement doesn’t mean aid will flow into Gaza

Israel’s announcement that it will allow desperately needed aid into Gaza does not translate into action, a US-based analyst warns.

“We have not seen anything happen yet. One hopes it will happen immediately and it begins to meet the needs of the people on the ground,” said Yousef Munayyer from the Arab Center Washington DC.

“But everything we’ve seen historically suggests this is not something going to be done in any way out of care or respect for the needs of the Palestinian people.”

Munayyer said the announcement may have been made to stave off the pressure mounting on Israel to halt its punishing blockade that threatens famine in Gaza.

“I wouldn’t call this any kind of significant change just yet,” he told Al Jazeera.

‘Sufficient law’ exists for United Nations to end genocide in Gaza

Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney, has urged United Nations member states to use their powers to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and protect the rights and lives of Palestinians.

As long as money is worth more than the lives of children it seems the West will stick to 'concern'.
Concern for how bad it looks rather than for starving kids.

Main events on May 18th

British historian on how colonialism led to the ‘genocide in Gaza’

"The British people are not taught the dark history of our responsibility for this mess."

Speaking at a mass march in central London on Saturday, Scottish historian William Dalrymple delivered a powerful speech condemning Britain’s historic and ongoing role in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The demonstration, marking the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, drew an estimated 600,000 people who marched to Downing Street in solidarity with Palestine.

Speaking near Downing Street, he highlighted the British Empire’s role in disarming Palestinians, enabling the 1948 catastrophe expulsion of 750,000 people, and the dehumanising views of figures like Winston Churchill.

He also brought to attention today’s UK government of enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza through military and diplomatic support — including over 500 Royal Air Force surveillance flights allegedly aiding Israeli war crimes. Dalrymple called out UK politicians for supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza while denouncing the silence of institutions like the BBC, and urged Britain to take responsibility by supporting Palestinian statehood and justice.

Disgusted on Gaza, UK MP says he will vote for Palestine; Netanyahu allows aid

UK MP from Conservative Party, Mark Pritchard, who supported Israel for 20 years has now said that he will vote for the recognition of an Independent State of Palestine. Pritchard last week confessed that he regretted ever supporting Israel in light of the siege of Gaza, causing starvation for hundreds of thousands of people. Rifat Jawaid explains why this and Netanyahu government’s decision to allow the entry of aid into Gaza are is massive developments.

First Western State Says Israel Committing GENOCIDE

The pressure is starting to work, yet much more is needed. So far the limited aid concession doesn't mean anything yet while killing record numbers of civilians daily. Plus it's only about limited food while hospitals and rescue services are out of everything.

Six Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on central and south Gaza

There have been several deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza in recent hours.

Three killed in Israeli attack on central Gaza

We reported earlier on an Israeli attack on a house in Deir el-Balah. Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are now reporting that at least three people were killed in that attack. All of them were from the same family.

One killed, four wounded in Israeli attack on south Gaza

Israel’s relentless bombardment continues. This time, Israeli forces attacked a tent sheltering displaced people in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. At least one person was killed and four others were wounded.

Israeli forces target patient inside Indonesian Hospital, official says

More on the Israeli attack on the last remaining medical facility in North Gaza.

Munir al-Bursh, the director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Al Jazeera that an Israeli aircraft targeted a patient inside the Indonesian Hospital, “without prior warning”. He said the military also fired on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

Earlier, the hospital’s director reported that Israeli forces had surrounded the hospital and forced it to shut down.

The Palestinian Health Ministry also said in a statement that the closure of the Indonesian Hospital means there are no public hospitals in North Gaza, which includes Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon, since Israeli forces had also earlier destroyed the Kamal Adwan and Beit Hanoon hospitals.

“My father once told me that, the US needs an enemy…” Bisan

I created this video out of desperation for the state of the planet. I could not have said it better than them. Bisan, Chase, ArtHouse TO and Ahmed share their experience strength and hope…

Crackdown on U.S. Student Protests — and What It Means to Palestinians in Gaza

Drop Site contributor Meghnad Bose reports on sweeping university crackdowns on pro-Palestine protests, including arrests, evictions, and suspensions at Columbia and beyond.

Sharif Abdel Kouddous speaks with Abubaker Abed about how these protests have resonated inside Gaza.

LBC’s Nick Ferrari drags Hamas on BBC; Labour MP makes powerful statement on Gaza

LBC’s Nick Ferrari on Sunday tried to make light of Benjamin Netanyahu’s action in Gaza but Labour MP Rosena Khan made a forceful intervention to ensure he wasn’t allowed to do so. This, on a day, when Israeli killed 140 more people in Gaza amidst launching of a ground operation to illegally annex the Strip. Rifat Jawaid questions the collective silence of the West in the face of a damning verdict by top UN official Tom Fletcher.

Israel’s true goal in Gaza is ethnic cleansing, says top Palestinian politician

Musthafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, says Israel “knows full well that it is incapable of eradicating” the Palestinian resistance, and that its true goal in Gaza is “ethnic cleansing”.

The politician, in an interview with Al Jazeera, urged Arab and Muslim nations to unite and “stop the aggression and genocide” in Gaza.

He denounced continued Israeli bombardment in Gaza, noting that those killed include people lining up for food.

“What is the value of giving a person a loaf of bread and then bombing him?” he asked.


_{Hundreds of internally displaced Palestinians gather outside a charity kitchen in Gaza City to receive limited food rations}

‘Bloody night’ in Gaza’s Jabalia as Israeli forces kill dozens

Israel’s expanded ground offensive in Gaza has brought devastating strikes to Jabalia, with nighttime attacks killing dozens, including women, children and the elderly, on Sunday.

The Nasser family home was obliterated in a midnight air raid without warning, killing more than 30 people and leaving many trapped under rubble. Adjacent buildings suffered severe damage as rescue teams struggled to reach survivors.

UN chief decries ‘collective punishment’ of Palestinians

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has again expressed concern over the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and called for a two-state solution to “deliver sustainable peace”.

In a series of posts on X, he wrote:

“Nothing justifies the atrocious October 7 terror attacks by Hamas. And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

Guterres also called for a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of Israeli captives and the “free flow of humanitarian aid” into Gaza.

He went on to urge the world to stay focused on the “terrible situation” in the occupied West Bank.

“Annexation is illegal,” he said. “Settlements are illegal.”

In addition to Gaza, we must also stay focused on the terrible situation in the occupied West Bank.

Annexation is illegal.

Settlements are illegal.

Only a two-State solution can deliver sustainable peace:

Israel & Palestine living side-by-side in peace & security.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 18, 2025

‘We can’t be complicit in starving kids to death’

Ben Cohen, the cofounder of the famed US ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, has urged Americans to speak out against starvation in Gaza.

“We are expected to be good Americans and look the other way as Israel prevents food, water, and medicine from reaching the remaining people of Gaza,” Cohen said in a post on X.

“Israel is literally starving them to death… We must speak out and demand a change in policy,” he added.

“We can’t be complicit in starving kids to death.”

Cohen, who is Jewish, was arrested last week for disrupting a Senate hearing to protest US’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

We are expected to be good Americans and look the other way as Israel prevents food, water, and medicine from reaching the remaining people of Gaza. Israel is literally starving them to death…We must speak out and demand a change in policy. We can’t be complicit in starving kids…

— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) May 18, 2025

Canada’s prime minister calls for ‘life-saving’ aid to reach Gaza

Mark Carney’s office says the Canadian leader “stressed the imperative of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” during his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the Vatican City on Sunday.

Carney also “called for urgent, life-saving humanitarian aid to reach civilians and affirmed Canada’s support for a two-state solution”.

He “reiterated the need for Hamas to release all hostages” and agreed with Herzog that “Hamas must lay down its weapons and have no future role in the governance of Gaza”.

Carney also met with the executive director of the World Food Programme, Cindy H McCain, and “emphasised Canada’s $100 million support earlier this year” to provide food and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

GHF welcomes Israeli plan to let aid into Gaza

The head of the US and Israel-backed charity that plans to take over aid distribution in Gaza says the Israeli announcement “marks an important interim step”.

Jake Woods said in a statement that the move is “consistent with the commitment made to us to serve as a bridging mechanism until the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is fully operational”, according to The Times of Israel.

“We expect GHF’s new aid mechanism – including the establishment of four initial Secure Distribution Sites – to be up and running before the end of the month,” he added.

“We have secured, and will continue to mobilize, funding from the international community to support GHF’s operations.”

As we’ve been reporting, the UN says it won’t work with the GHF because their distribution plan is not impartial, neutral or independent.

What is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?

We’ve been covering Israel’s announcement that it intends to allow a “basic” amount of food into Gaza.

Israeli sources say that the UN’s food agency and the World Central Kitchen are going to assist with the distribution for about a week until the US and the Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), takes over.

Here’s what we know about the GHF: