Israel
JC Israel Briefing Day 592: Israel to ‘take control of all of Gaza’
Plus, Golan accused of ‘blood libel’ after ‘baby killing’ remark
May 20, 2025 08:30
Plus, Golan accused of ‘blood libel’ after ‘baby killing’ remark
May 20, 2025 08:30This story first appeared as today’s Israel briefing newsletter. You can sign up to receive it daily here.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will take control of all of Gaza. He said that Israel is applying “immense military pressure” and elaborated that he was talking about “our massive entry, essentially taking control of all of Gaza, and stripping Hamas of any ability to loot humanitarian aid.” He added: “This is the war plan. This is the victory plan.”
His comments came as the flow of aid into Gaza resumed, with trucks carrying baby food, medical supplies, and other essential goods entering the enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing for the first time since early March. Netanyahu sought to address criticism from both foreign allies and members of his own coalition. He said Israel would not allow famine, “not only substantively, but also from a political standpoint.” He described the resumed aid as minimal and tightly controlled.
Israel said that it halted aid in light of Hamas looting supplies. Under a new model, goods will be handed out at IDF-secured distribution points staffed by American contractors. “The first distribution points will be set up in a few days,” Netanyahu said. “Ultimately, we want a situation where Gaza’s entire civilian population can come and receive aid — while Hamas receives nothing.”
International pressure increased despite the shift. The UK, France, and Canada accused Israel of breaching humanitarian norms and warned of “concrete actions” if conditions failed to improve. In a separate appeal, 26 donor governments – including the UK – said “the population faces starvation” and rejected Israel’s proposed aid model, warning it “places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk.” Israeli officials said all shipments were screened and coordinated with humanitarian agencies. The UN humanitarian chief called the deliveries “a drop in the ocean.”
The leader of Israel’s Democrats Party, formerly Labour, has said the country is becoming a pariah state and accused the government of endangering its future. In an interview with national broadcaster Kan, Yair Golan said “a sane country doesn’t kill babies for a hobby” and warned Israel risks turning into “a pariah among the nations, like South Africa once was.”
The comments sparked instant controversy. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called them a “blood libel” that would fuel global antisemitism. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Golan of adopting Hamas talking points. MK Yitzhak Kroizer called on the attorney general to indict him for incitement.
As part of his remarks, Golan, a former IDF deputy Chief of Staff, referenced the Jewish past, saying actions now being taken are “unconscionable,” despite the Jewish people having served “as a moral compass of human and Jewish ethics.”
Elsewhere, an Israeli soldier was killed in northern Gaza during intensified operations as the IDF expanded ground assaults under Operation Gideon’s Chariots. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 21, from Harasha, was serving with the Combat Engineering Corps when he died Monday. The military is examining the possibility that the death was due to friendly fire.
In the new military operation, Gideon’s Chariots, troops have pushed into Khan Younis and Nuseirat, which are located in southern Gaza. The IDF released footage showing tunnel demolitions and strikes on weapons sites and rocket launch positions. Civilians were ordered to evacuate toward al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone on Gaza’s coast. Hamas sources reported dozens of deaths from air and ground strikes.
Meanwhile, the army said it killed Ahmad Sarhan, a Hamas operative identified as one of the kidnappers involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks.
And the US hostage envoy said Hamas is blocking progress toward a deal. Adam Boehler, speaking at the Jerusalem Post Conference, said the group is demanding terms that “guarantee impunity” and has refused to move forward without a full Israeli withdrawal. He said earlier US contact with Hamas was tactical but that talks are now frozen. He added that future movement would require Hamas to shift its position or face external pressure.
A former hostage told Israeli politicians they would have blood on their hands if they failed to end the war and secure a deal. Arbel Yehoud, who was held captive in Gaza and recently freed, addressed the Knesset in a confrontational speech. “The blood will be on your hands if you don’t [end the war],” she said. “Look at me and see who you abandoned, who you chose to sacrifice as a solution to the Gaza problem.” Yehoud described the hostages as “mentally captive” and said Hamas does not care about civilian lives. Her remarks received a standing ovation.
In Lebanon, Israel killed a Hezbollah operative in a drone strike on the southern town of Houla. The target was identified as a member of the Radwan force, an elite unit within the group.
Finally, Houthi rebels have threatened a naval blockade on Haifa port and warned international shipping companies not to enter Israeli waters. The statement came from military spokesman Yehya Saree. It marks the first time the group has publicly declared a northern Israeli port a target.