Israel will 'take control of all' of Gaza, says PM

Israel said Monday it will “take control” of the whole of Gaza, where rescuers reported more than 50 killed in Israeli strikes as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign.

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After more than two months of a total blockade, the World Health Organization issued a stark warning on the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, saying “two million people are starving.”

Under mounting pressure to lift the blockade it imposed on Gaza on March 2, Israel has announced it would let limited aid into the besieged territory and said a first delivery of “trucks with baby food” would enter Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited “practical and diplomatic reasons” for the resumption, while the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said it had been approached by Israeli authorities about the resumption of aid.

The first aid trucks have entered Gaza following nearly three months blockade, according to Israel and the United Nations.

Five trucks carrying aid including baby food entered the territory of over 2 million Palestinians via the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday, according to the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza.

The UN called it a “welcome development” but said much more aid is needed to address the humanitarian crisis. Food security experts last week warned of famine.