Israel Will Take Control of Whole of Gaza: Netanyahu

It will allow 'basic amount' of food in as military continues intensified campaign

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GAZA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 19 that Israel will "take control" of the whole of Gaza, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory.

After Israel announced it would let a "basic amount" of food into the Gaza Strip, Mr. Netanyahu said it was necessary to prevent a famine for "diplomatic reasons".

In Gaza, rescuers said air strikes killed at least 22 people, after the military announced it had begun "extensive ground operations" against Hamas.

"The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip," Mr. Netanyahu said in a video posted on Telegram.

"We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped."

Israel has come under mounting international pressure, including from key backer the US, to lift a total blockade it imposed on Gaza more than two months ago.

"We must not let the population (of Gaza) sink into famine, both for practical and diplomatic reasons," Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that even friends of Israel would not tolerate "images of mass starvation".