TNA Staff
The New Arab / May 19, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel will “take control” of the whole of the Gaza Strip, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory.
After Israel announced it would let a “basic amount” of food into the enclave, Netanyahu said it was necessary to prevent a famine for “diplomatic reasons”, saying he had come under pressure from his allies to end the blockade.
Across Gaza, rescuers said air strikes killed at least 30 people on Monday, after the military announced it had begun “extensive ground operations”.
The army ordered people to evacuate Khan Younis and nearby areas “immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack”.
“From this moment, Khan Yunis will be considered a dangerous combat zone.”
Two million people are starving in Gaza: WHO chief
The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that two million people were starving in the Gaza Strip while tonnes of food was being blocked at the border.
“Two million people are starving” while “tonnes of food is blocked at the border, just minutes away,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told opening of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
“The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid,” he added.
Israel tells Gazans to evacuate parts of south ‘immediately’
The Israeli army told Gazans in the main southern city of Khan Younis and the nearby areas of Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” on Monday ahead of an attack.
“The Israeli Defense Forces (military) will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations in this area,” Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram.
“You must evacuate immediately to the west to the Mawasi area. From this moment, Khan Younis will be considered a dangerous combat zone.”
Netanyahu acknowledges pressure to resume Gaza aid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Monday that his decision to resume aid to Gaza came from pressure from allies.
In a video statement posted to social media, Netanyahu said that Israel’s allies had voiced concern about “images of hunger” and said they told the country that “with that, we will not be able to support you.”
Netanyahu said the aid that would be let in would be “minimal,” without specifying precisely when it would resume.
Israel on Sunday said it would resume aid deliveries into the war-battered territory after a complete halt on imports since early March.
Israel will ’take control of all’ Gaza Strip: Netanyahu
Israeli forces will “take control of all” of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, as his military pressed a newly expanded offensive in the territory.
“The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip,” he said in a video posted to his Telegram channel. “We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.”
92% of Gaza homes damaged or destroyed: UNRWA
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza, saying the territory faced “unimaginable devastation.”
“Families in Gaza face unimaginable devastation. According to the Protection Cluster, 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, countless people have been displaced multiple times, and shelter is scarce. UNRWA remains on the ground, providing critical aid. The siege must be lifted.”
