On May 5, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a new military strategy to defeat Hamas. In a video message posted on the social media platform X, Netanyahu explained that the plan had been approved by the Israeli cabinet ministers. The operation will be intensive and will directly impact hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, who will be forcibly relocated to southern Gaza under the pretext of “their safety.” This aligns with the ruling Likud party and extremist factions, which have repeatedly called for full occupation of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of permanent Israeli settlements in the area.
The military operation planned by Israel in the Gaza Strip will not begin before May 16, 2025. This postponement is in line with the diplomatic agenda of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. This decision was made to consider regional dynamics and the potential impact on other countries.
Furthermore, the discourse on the relocation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip first emerged during a meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the White House on February 5, 2025. During the meeting, Netanyahu expressed an open stance toward the proposal for the forced relocation of Palestinian residents. This proposal effectively opens the door for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and develop it economically. However, Netanyahu did not respond to the United States’ intentions.
Interestingly, the announcement of Israel’s plan to expand its territory drew criticism from the families of hostages, who feared that escalating the conflict would endanger the safety of their loved ones. Through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the families of the hostages urged Israeli stakeholders to prioritize the safety of the hostages and the general public.
Israel’s Aid Distribution Scheme: Humanitarianism or Power?
Since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas in mid-March, it has launched a series of large-scale attacks on Gaza, successfully taking control of around 50% of the territory. Even before the ceasefire ended, Israel had already stopped all humanitarian aid, such as food, water, and fuel, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Sumber: UNRWA, Israeli Government
Israel has imposed a blockade on all humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of a new distribution scheme controlled by the military. It was announced at a meeting of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) that distribution channels will be centralized at the Kerem Shalom crossing, with a target of 60 aid trucks per day. This number is far below the usual aid volume of around 500 trucks per day. Additionally, facial recognition technology will be used to ensure aid does not fall into the hands of armed groups, and residents will receive message alerts to know the time and location for collecting aid.
International Reaction: Criticism and Rejection
In response to Israel’s proposed aid distribution scheme, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) stated in an official statement that the scheme violated basic humanitarian principles. The plan was seen as a strategy to strengthen control over life-saving aid and use it as a means of pressure against civilians.
The UN Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator stated that the UN would not support or participate in any aid scheme that does not align with global humanitarian principles, namely humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. Furthermore, the HCT reaffirmed its commitment to continue delivering essential aid, such as food, clean water, and healthcare services, once the blockade is lifted. Finally, the HCT also called for international support to help end this humanitarian crisis.
Jan Egeland, chairman of the Norwegian Refugee Council, also criticized Israel’s actions, which he said were attempting to militarize, manipulate, and politicize humanitarian aid. By only allowing aid to enter certain points in the southern region, this policy could force civilians to relocate to access aid, ultimately leading to starvation among the civilian population.
In its official statement on May 5, 2025, Hamas called Israel’s plan to take over the provision of aid political blackmail. Hamas supports the UN’s stance that this action is a violation of international law and affirms that Israel is fully responsible for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Hamas’ Determination in an Increasingly Bleak Context
Amidst a difficult situation, Hamas is attempting to agree to a ceasefire while simultaneously rallying support for the opening of broader humanitarian aid channels. On Sunday, May 11, 2025, Hamas announced its plan to release Edan Alexander, a dual Israeli-American citizen who is being held captive. The Israeli soldier, who was raised in New Jersey, USA, was captured during the Israeli attack on October 7, 2023.
This statement was made to attract US empathy, given that President Trump will be in the Middle East on Tuesday, May 11, 2025. President Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and this is seen as a crucial moment that could impact the future of the people in Gaza. Trump himself welcomed the plan to release Alexander as “a step in good faith” to end the war and bring home all the hostages held by Hamas for the past two years.
Author: Nazwa
Cover Image: UN News
References:
Al Jazeera. “Hamas Says It Will Release US-Israeli Captive Edan Alexander.” Al Jazeera, May 11, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/11/hamas-says-it-will-release-israeli-american-captive-edan-alexander.
Al Jazeera. “Netanyahu Says Gaza Population to Be Moved in Intensive Israeli Operation.” Al Jazeera, May 5, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/5/israel-plans-conquest-of-gaza-in-expanded-offensive.
Al Jazeera. “Trump Says US Will ‘Take Over’ and ‘Own’ Gaza in Redevelopment Plan.” Al Jazeera, February 5, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/5/trump-says-us-will-take-over-and-own-gaza-in-redevelopment-plan.
Goldenberg, Tia, and Sam Mednick. “Israel Plans to Capture All of Gaza under New Plan, Officials Say.” AP News, May 5, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-05-05-2025-d22caabfd2cf89e83fe06e649e6438ba.
Lubell, Maayan. “Israel May Seize All Gaza in Expanded Operation, Officials Say.” Reuters, May 5, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-cabinet-approves-expansion-gaza-offensive-broadcaster-kan-reports-2025-05-05/.
OCHA. “Statement by the Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory – on Principled Aid Delivery in Gaza | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Occupied Palestinian Territory.” United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Occupied Palestinian Territory, May 4, 2025. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/statement-humanitarian-country-team-occupied-palestinian-territory-principled-aid-delivery-gaza.
Price, Stepheny, and Yonat Friling. “Trump Says Last Living American Hostage Edan Alexander Will Be Released by Hamas: ‘Coming Home.’” Fox News, May 12, 2025. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-last-living-american-hostage-edan-alexander-released-hamas-coming-home.
UN News. “Gazans Face Hunger Crisis as Aid Blockade Nears Two Months.” United Nations News, April 28, 2025. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162666.
