Israel’s security cabinet has voted to escalate its military operations in Gaza and adopt a revised system for humanitarian aid delivery, two Israeli officials confirmed Sunday.
The decision follows an announcement by the Israeli military earlier in the day that it would call up tens of thousands of reservists, bolstering its operational strength in the heavily blockaded Palestinian enclave.
According to one official, the updated military strategy includes seizing and maintaining control of territory in Gaza.
The plan reportedly involves relocating the Palestinian population to the southern part of the territory while conducting intensified strikes against Hamas targets.
Since mid-March, when Israel ended a nearly two-month-long ceasefire with a renewed campaign of airstrikes, more than 2,400 Palestinians have lost their lives, per reports from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Overall, the death toll in Gaza since the war’s onset has surpassed 52,000.
Officials indicated that the military escalation would be implemented in phases, potentially leaving space for a renewed ceasefire agreement and a hostage release deal before U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming mid-May trip to the Middle East.
Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, though Israel is not on his itinerary at this time.
The cabinet meeting also addressed aid access to Gaza, approving a new aid framework that has yet to be put into effect.
Currently, Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza is in its ninth consecutive week.
Tensions flared during the cabinet session over the aid plan. According to Israel’s Kan 11 broadcaster, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Settlements Minister Orit Strook opposed the resumption of aid, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir argued that international law mandates Israel’s facilitation of such aid.
A source confirmed, “the Israeli media reports about the arguments over the aid ‘are not wrong.’”
Israeli officials have maintained that cutting off aid was intended to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
However, global aid organizations warn that the move may be illegal under international law and could result in a famine, accusing Israel of weaponizing hunger, a violation classified as a war crime.
In response, U.S. and Israeli officials are working to establish an alternative aid delivery system designed to bypass Hamas. Both a State Department official and an Israeli source told CNN that an announcement about the new delivery mechanism may be imminent.
A State Department spokesperson explained that the mechanism would involve a private foundation overseeing the flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza, with strict controls to prevent diversion to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
The plan is to have the United Nations and other international organizations operate within this framework.
However, aid organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories voiced strong opposition to the proposal on Sunday, claiming it would “reinforce control over life-sustaining items” and fail to reach Gaza’s most at-risk residents.
“The UN Secretary-General and the Emergency Relief Coordinator have made clear that we will not participate in any scheme that does not adhere to the global humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” the groups said in a joint statement.
