Israel has announced it will allow limited humanitarian aid into Gaza after nearly three months of blockade, following warnings from global food security experts about imminent famine.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that a starvation crisis could undermine Israel’s new military offensive, prompting his Cabinet to approve a basic amount of food for the two million people trapped in the war-torn enclave. However, details on when and how aid will enter remain unclear, with Israel’s military body overseeing aid declining to comment.
The blockade, imposed on 2 March, cut off all food, medicine, and supplies, as Israel sought to pressure Hamas into accepting new ceasefire terms. The war resumed days later, shattering a two-month truce, and has since escalated into intense airstrikes and ground operations. Netanyahu insists that Israel will ensure aid does not reach militants, but humanitarian groups have criticised Israel’s new aid system, arguing it restricts access and complicates distribution efforts.
For global investors, the crisis raises geopolitical risks that could impact energy markets, regional stability, and defense sector investments. The prolonged conflict has already disrupted trade routes, with shipping firms rerouting vessels to avoid security threats in the Eastern Mediterranean. Investors should monitor Middle East tensions, as further escalation could drive oil prices higher and increase volatility on global markets.
Israel’s decision to partially lift the blockade signals international pressure is mounting, but the humanitarian situation remains dire. With a famine looming, aid agencies warn that piecemeal relief efforts may not be enough to prevent a full-scale humanitarian disaster. Investors tracking regional stability should watch for policy shifts, ceasefire negotiations, and broader economic fallout as the crisis unfolds.
Israel launched its largest ground offensive in Gaza since the collapse of the ceasefire, escalating military operations across the north and south of the territory. Airstrikes have killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children, according to hospitals and medics.
The bombardment forced northern Gaza’s main hospital to shut down after sustained direct strikes, further crippling the enclave’s fragile healthcare system. The Israeli military says its preliminary wave of attacks over the past week has hit more than 670 Hamas targets, but civilian casualties continue to mount.
At the heart of the conflict is a deadlock over ceasefire terms. Israel wants Hamas to agree to a temporary truce that would secure the release of hostages but not necessarily end the war. Hamas, however, demands a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and a path to ending the war as part of any deal.
The humanitarian toll is devastating, with families fleeing on foot or in donkey carts, desperate for safety amid relentless bombardment. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that airstrikes in Khan Younis killed 48 people, including 18 children and 13 women, while another strike in Jabaliya wiped out entire families.
Israel’s military, which has called up tens of thousands of reservists, says its ground operations aim to “dissect” Gaza and dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. But with no immediate comment from Israeli officials on civilian casualties, international pressure is mounting. As negotiations in Qatar stall, the prospect of a longer, deadlier conflict looms, leaving investors and policymakers bracing for economic and political fallout.
