The New York Times
Aid trucks are entering Gaza for the first time in months. Airstrikes have intensified there, killing hundreds of people. Patrick Kingsley, The Times’s Jerusalem bureau chief, explains the latest from the war in Gaza.
For months, Israel has tried to pressure Hamas by both threatening a new ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and cutting off aid.
Yesterday, Israel made a U-turn on aid, allowing a few trucks of food to enter Gaza. And despite escalating its rhetoric and its airstrikes in recent days, Israel’s infantry has yet to begin a major advance.
The lack of strategic clarity reflects disagreements within Israel’s leadership about the country’s national priorities.
On aid: Benjamin Netanyahu must balance right-wing political allies who oppose sending food to Gaza, and foreign allies — including the Trump administration — who fear a famine. On the invasion, Netanyahu needs to satisfy cabinet ministers, who want a full reoccupation of Gaza, and Israel’s top generals, who believe it will be hard to staff and may endanger the hostages.
On a full ground offensive: Israel is waiting to see how Hamas responds to new negotiations over a cease-fire pushed by the Trump administration. Israel would trade several hostages for a temporary truce; Hamas is holding out for a permanent deal. But Israel hopes that the fear of losing more territory may prompt Hamas to settle for less.
Just as the delay of the ground operation gives negotiators more time to find a compromise, the U-turn on aid gives Israel more time to continue its bombardment of Gaza.
Since March, Israel had prevented food and fuel from reaching Gaza. Trump, along with many foreign leaders, recently warned about starvation there. Israel had previously dismissed those claims, but Netanyahu acknowledged yesterday that Israel might forfeit some international support if it allowed a famine to take hold. So Israel asked the United Nations to resume its aid operation.
