Israeli Defense Minister Says Israel Eyeing Eventual Resumption of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Minister Ben-Gvir objected, saying, “As long as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, there is no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza.”

By United with Israel and Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel will resume humanitarian aid to Gaza but only through civilian companies to prevent Hamas from seizing supplies. He subsequently clarified his comments to stress that the aid would not resume until a civilian mechanism for distribution is in place.

“The goal is clear,” Katz said in a statement. “We are making every effort to bring about the release of all the hostages within the [U.S. envoy Steven] Witkoff framework, and building a bridge toward the defeat of Hamas in the future.”

Katz continued with a list of Israel’s policies for Gaza, which included “stopping the humanitarian aid, which harms Hamas’ control over the population, and creating an infrastructure for distribution via civilian companies later on.”

He added that Israel Defense Forces operations are continuing, including targeted strikes on Hamas operatives and infrastructure, evacuations of civilians from combat zones, and large-scale attacks ahead of ground maneuvers.

The defense minister noted that “in contrast to the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and taken. The IDF will remain in security areas as a buffer between the enemy and communities in any temporary or permanent reality in Gaza – like in Lebanon and Syria.”

“So far, hundreds of thousands of residents have been evacuated and tens of percent of the territory has been added to the security zones,” he said. “At the same time, the plan for voluntary relocation of Gaza residents is being advanced.”

According to Katz, Hamas faces mounting pressure to agree to a hostage deal. He pointed to growing tensions between the group and Gaza’s civilian population. Egypt is now conditioning any comprehensive agreement to end the war on “the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza,” he said.

The announcement was swiftly condemned by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who said that a resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza would be a “historic mistake.” Writing on X, he said, “As long as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, there is no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza.” He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz to reverse course, warning that the resumption of aid would “harm our ability to defeat Hamas and return our hostages safely.”

In a separate statement issued shortly afterward, Katz said, “In the current reality, no one is going to bring any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and no one is preparing to bring in any such aid.”

He added, “I emphasized that regarding the future, a mechanism for using civilian companies must be built, to not allow Hamas access [to aid] in the future.”

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