Benny Gantz Demands Swift Action Against Hamas as Food Crisis Escalates in Gaza
By Adrienne Vogt and Matt Meyer
Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has issued an ultimatum to the current cabinet, demanding that they present a comprehensive plan for the ongoing war against Hamas by June 8. In a statement made in Ramat Gan on Saturday night local time, Gantz cautioned that his withdrawal from the government would be imminent if his demands were not met. The proposed plan should encompass several objectives: eliminating Hamas, securing the release of hostages, establishing a provisional administration in the Gaza Strip, enabling Israeli residents to return to areas previously evacuated, and initiating efforts towards normalization with Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced the recovery of another hostage’s body in Gaza. Ron Benjamin, a bicycle enthusiast, was killed during Hamas attacks on October 7, 2021, at the Mefalsim Intersection. His body, subsequently abducted by Hamas militants, was discovered in the region on Saturday. This revelation comes after Friday’s news that the remains of three other hostages had been retrieved from a tunnel in Gaza.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen, with the United Nations (UN) reporting that barely over 300 aid trucks have entered the strip since Israel’s offensive in Rafah commenced on May 7, 2022. The seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt has disrupted aid deliveries and exacerbated an already dire food situation in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. According to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), nearly 640,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah between May 6 and 16, 2022. With no remaining stocks of shelter materials in Gaza, the UN strongly urges that more aid be allowed to pass through checkpoints and enter the region by land.
As of Saturday, over 300 pallets of humanitarian aid were delivered to Gaza via the pier, as per a statement from Israel Defense Forces.
Elsewhere in Jabalya refugee camp, a displaced woman shared her harrowing experiences with News Finder. She lost her home in Beit Hanoun during the recent Israeli military bombardment and subsequent fighting with Palestinian militants in the area. Now residing in a destroyed shelter, she is amongst the countless Palestinians who have been displaced multiple times and currently lack access to basic necessities such as toilets, adequate shelter, and water.
Israeli military sources reported that its troops had killed several Palestinian militants in various battles within Jabalya. News Finder footage captured large explosions, audible bombardment, gunfire, and drone activity throughout the region.
According to Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the civil defense emergency services in Gaza, over 300 houses were destroyed over the course of seven days during Israel’s incursion in Jabalya. Bassal’s teams have rescued hundreds of injured people and recovered at least 150 bodies from the rubble since then. He warned that many more bodies remain trapped beneath the debris, as civil defense teams struggle to reach them or lack the necessary resources to dig them out due to the ongoing Israeli military presence.
As the situation in Gaza continues to unfold, tensions escalate both on the ground and diplomatically, with political leaders urging action on multiple fronts.
