Israel’s Netanyahu says allies pressed him to resume some aid to Gaza. So far, nothing has gone in

By TIA GOLDENBERG SAMY MAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press TEL AVIV Israel AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained Monday that his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza after a weekslong blockade came after pressure from allies who announced they wouldn t be able to grant Israel the encouragement it necessities to win the war so long as there were images of hunger coming out of the Palestinian territory Israel has faced condemnation from the United Nations aid groups and a few European allies for its blockade of goods into the war-ravaged territory including food fuel and medicine On Sunday it explained it would allow a basic amount of aid into Gaza to prevent a hunger dilemma from growing Food experts have already warned that the blockade risked sparking famine in Gaza a territory of roughly million people The decision to let in aid comes as Israel efforts up its offensive in the Gaza Strip in what it says is a bid to pressure Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal on Israel s terms On Monday a military spokesperson ordered the evacuation of Gaza s second-largest city Khan Younis where Israel carried out a massive operation earlier in the war that left much of the area in ruins Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States Canada and the European Union Under the newly launched air and ground offensive Israel plans to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and secure aid distribution inside the territory Netanyahu mentioned Monday that the plan would include taking control of all of Gaza Netanyahu warns of a red line on Gaza Under the Trump administration the United States Israel s top ally has mostly avoided criticizing Israel s approaches in its war against Hamas and blames the group for the humanitarian situation But it has increasingly highlighted the plight of civilians in Gaza President Donald Trump on his up-to-date trip to the Middle East a visit where he did not stop in Israel voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza as did his Secretary of State Marco Rubio who revealed on a visit to Turkey that he was troubled by it In a video declaration posted to social media Netanyahu explained that Israel s allies had voiced concern about images of hunger Israel s greatest friends in the world he noted including senators but without mentioning specific nationalities had commented there is one thing we cannot stand We cannot accept images of hunger mass hunger We cannot stand that We will not be able to patronage you Netanyahu explained the situation was approaching a red line and a dangerous point but it was not clear if he was referring to the problem in Gaza or the probable loss of promotion from allies Therefore to achieve triumph we need to somehow solve the concern Netanyahu disclosed The video announcement appeared aimed at pacifying anger from Netanyahu s nationalist base at the decision to resume aid Netanyahu has been under pressure from two far-right governing partners not to send aid back into Gaza At least one of them revealed Monday he was begrudgingly on board with the decision Netanyahu says minimal aid to be let in The aid that would be let in would be minimal Netanyahu explained without specifying precisely when it would resume and would act as bridge toward the beginning of a new approach to aid delivery in Gaza which will see a U S -backed organization distribute aid in organized hubs in Gaza that will be secured by the Israeli military Israel says the plan is meant to prevent Hamas from accessing aid which Israel says it uses to bolster its rule in Gaza Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip are seen at the Kerem Shalom Bridging in southern Israel Monday May A day after Israel disclosed it would resume allowing aid into the territory AP Photo Ohad Zwigenberg Aid groups say the mechanism is not practical that it will not reach the bulk vulnerable Palestinians and say they won t participate because it doesn t align with their humanitarian principles A U N official stated a shipment of aid trucks carrying mostly food is expected to enter on Monday The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity Israeli executives have not commented on when the aid would begin entering An Associated Press photographer saw at least three trucks loaded with humanitarian aid on the Israeli side of a moving across with Gaza but they drove off back into Israel shortly after Palestinians say an Israeli undercover raid has killed a militant As the aid waited to enter the territory again fighting continued to rage there including an early morning raid in the southern city of Khan Younis by what Palestinian residents stated was an undercover Israeli force disguised as displaced Palestinians The force killed Ahmed Sarhan a leader of the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees in a shootout the group announced and detained his wife and child according to Palestinian onlookers The forces drove in on a civilian conveyance and carried out the raid under heavy aircover killing at least six people including Sarhan according to Nasser Hospital They carried what appeared to be luggage and blankets on top of their white bus Also Monday an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter for displaced Palestinians in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed five people including a woman and a girl and wounded mostly children according to Al-Awda Hospital which received the casualties The Israeli military had no immediate comment on either occurrence The war in Gaza began on Oct when Hamas-led terrorists attacked southern Israel killing people and abducting others Israel s retaliatory offensive has killed more than Palestinians a large number of of them women and children according to Gaza s Strength Ministry which doesn t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count Magdy stated from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah Gaza Strip