After nearly three months of a strict blockade and growing international warnings of an impending famine, Israel has announced it will permit a limited quantity of humanitarian aid into Gaza, even as it begins a large-scale new ground offensive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that a full-blown hunger crisis in Gaza could hinder the military campaign — the largest since the collapse of the ceasefire in March — and said a "basic" level of food assistance would be allowed to enter the territory.

Since early March, Israel had completely halted the delivery of food, medicine, and essential supplies to Gaza, home to over 2 million people, in a bid to pressure Hamas into accepting ceasefire conditions. Over the past weekend, Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 103 people, including many children, according to local hospitals and medical sources.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the new operation, named Operation Gideon Chariots, is being conducted with "great force." Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to intensifying efforts to dismantle Hamas, the militant group that has governed Gaza for nearly 20 years.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others.

Israel's subsequent military response has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry’s figures include both civilians and fighters, but it does not distinguish between the two.