Israel’s military-political cabinet approved a small, precautionary increase in fuel deliveries to the southern Gaza Strip to avert a humanitarian collapse and potential epidemics. A report in the Israeli press noted that, after a brief ceasefire, the planned operation in Gaza would extend for at least two months. The publication attributed the statement to the Prime Minister’s Office and to the War Cabinet’s recommendations, emphasizing that the extra fuel is a minimal amount intended to prevent critical shortages in the Gaza corridor south of the humanitarian operations zone.
The office indicated that this minimal supply level would be reviewed regularly by the narrow military operations committee, with changes based on disease trends and the evolving humanitarian needs in the region.
The Middle East crisis intensified after thousands of Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, coinciding with Hamas declaring the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the country is at war and that a military campaign would proceed accordingly.
The Israeli military’s objective, framed as Operation Iron Sword, was to repel the attack, secure the release of more than 200 hostages, including foreign nationals, and dismantle Hamas. To support this objective, Israel began substantial rocket strikes on Gaza from the outset. Concurrently, the Israeli National Security Council decided to suspend the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to Gaza. Humanitarian aid shipments reached Gaza through the Rafah crossing only after October 20, and aid volumes were described as insufficient by relief workers at that time.
On October 27, Israel announced a broadening of the ground operation in Gaza. While the exact start date of the ground phase remained unclear, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes and moved toward shelters in the southern parts of the region. By November 5, Israeli forces had encircled Gaza City and cut supply lines in central Gaza, while pockets of resistance continued elsewhere in the territory.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant had stated that after a brief ceasefire, the Gaza operation would endure for a minimum of two months. This framing underscored the government’s expectation of a protracted military campaign in the area as part of the broader conflict framework, with ongoing debates about humanitarian access and civilian protection in parallel with security objectives.
Notes from official sources and news agencies reference the evolving balance between military actions and humanitarian relief. In the reporting, there is attention to the logistics of aid and fuel, the status of hostages, and the shifting frontlines. The situation remains dynamic, with policymakers weighing security imperatives against the urgent needs of civilians in Gaza and the risk of broader regional repercussions. Analysts and observers continue to monitor the pace of ground operations, the effectiveness of blockade measures, and the international responses that accompany a conflict of this scale, including humanitarian corridors, ceasefire proposals, and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the violence. The reporting reflects the complexity of a crisis that sits at the intersection of national security, humanitarian law, and regional stability. Cited sources trace the official statements and subsequent developments, offering a record of the sequence of events and the strategic calculations driving the actors involved.
References to the ongoing conflict events are attributed to official briefings and contemporary reporting from international agencies and news services, with the understanding that the situation is subject to rapid change and varying perspectives across sources. The narrative threads together the sequence of military decisions, humanitarian considerations, and the humanitarian responses that emerged in the early stages of the Gaza operations, highlighting the recurring tensions between protecting civilians and pursuing strategic aims in a volatile environment.
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