Israel says it's easing aid blockade as Gaza starvation crisis draws global condemnation
Date: 5 min ago
Title: Israel says it will allow more aid to flow into Gaza as condemnation grows. Here's what to know
Content:
Israel's military has started making controversial airdrops into Gaza, and the military says it will implement 'humanitarian pauses' in parts of the enclave on Sunday, as well as establishing corridors for United Nations convoys to make aid deliveries.
Israel's announcements Saturday came as global outrage over Gazans starving to death in the besieged Palestinian enclave reached boiling point.
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Update:
Date: 5 min ago
Title: Ben-Gvir denounces Gaza aid boost, says he was excluded from deliberations
Content:
Israel's far-right national security minister denounced the government's decision to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling it 'a surrender to Hamas' and saying he was excluded from the deliberations.
'On Saturday night, I was informed by a source in the Prime Minister's Office that during Shabbat a security consultation took place without me,' Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote Saturday night on social media.
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, which falls on a Saturday. During Shabbat, observant Jews normally refrain from work, outside of emergencies.
'They know very well that, as Minister of National Security, I am available on Shabbat for any important security event and consultation,' Ben-Gvir added.
Israel's military announced Saturday that it would open corridors for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and pause combat operations in certain areas, amid global outrage over civilians starving to death in the enclave.
Ben-Gvir has been vocal about pressing on with the war in Gaza and has consistently opposed any negotiated ceasefire with Hamas.
He referred to the decision as a 'surrender' which would endanger Israeli soldiers and delay the return of the remaining hostages.
'The only way to win the war and bring back the hostages is to completely stop the 'humanitarian' aid, conquer the entire strip, and encourage voluntary migration,' he said.
Some context: Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on all aid into the strip beginning in March, finally restarting distribution in late May through the controversial US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access aid in the months since, according to the UN, and aid groups are warning 'mass starvation' is spreading across Gaza.
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