Facing Right-Wing Backlash, Netanyahu Allies Defend Gaza Aid Corridors
While some accuse the government of caving to Hamas, Netanyahu’s advisers argue that opening humanitarian corridors is a strategic imperative, not just to address Gaza’s shortages, but to defuse international pressure and keep the IDF’s hands untied.
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Against the backdrop of sharp criticism from the political right over the decision made Saturday (Shabbat) by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a small forum to establish humanitarian corridors for the entry of aid and the airdropping of supplies into Gaza, officials involved in the process are pushing back against the accusations. In a conversation with *Israel Hayom*, they assert: this is the only way to enable continued military operations against Hamas.
Israeli sources said Sunday morning that this isn’t just a response to a media “campaign” but to the situation on the ground after two years of war. Alongside the decision to open humanitarian corridors and increase the pace of aid, Israel has since the weekend been running a campaign against the UN, which had refused to allow hundreds of trucks into Gaza in recent weeks. That "bottleneck," they say, also began to ease over the weekend.
“When the IDF creates humanitarian corridors, it removes the UN’s excuses for not delivering the aid we already approved,” said one Israeli official. “The frenzy over the airdropped supplies shows there’s a real shortage, as do the rising prices and the fact that American organizations are unable to meet all the needs. There are genuine humanitarian needs, as well as perceptual and diplomatic considerations. But this doesn’t mean Israel has compromised its core war objectives.”
Meanwhile, Col. (res.) Yaron Buskila, director of the Bit’chonistim movement, harshly criticized the recent steps. In a conversation with *Israel Hayom*, he said:
“In practice, Hamas received a ten-hour daily ceasefire with no IDF attacks in order to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid — all because of our inaction. The political leadership should have instructed the army to distribute the aid directly to civilians. Had we done that, we would’ve already separated Hamas from the civilian population and reached decisive moments in the war.”
Buskila added, “Hamas knows that food distribution weakens its control, which is why in negotiations it demanded that the IDF not control the Morag route or access central distribution areas and even tried to destroy them. If that’s what Hamas fears most, why are we giving it to them today?”
Avoiding Pressure from Trump
According to data held by Israel, the UN allowed in around 400 trucks out of approximately 900 that had been waiting at the crossings over the weekend. The expectation is for steady continued entry thanks to the humanitarian corridors where the IDF is not operating.
In contrast to Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s accusations against the aid delivery, another cabinet minister said: “We shouldn't have reached this point. We should’ve acted earlier to avoid this damaging picture of us in the international arena.”
Still, officials in Jerusalem admit the current decision aims to reduce heavy pressure from the White House and President Trump. Ultimately, the sentiment among Netanyahu’s advisers and decision-makers is that to preserve American legitimacy for ongoing military operations, a "humanitarian currency" must be paid, otherwise, Israel’s hands will be tied internationally.
The starvation campaign is harming us in global public opinion, including in the U.S.,” said a source familiar with the details, “We will not allow starvation in Gaza because operationally, we would not be able to continue fighting. That’s always been our position, and we haven’t backed down from it. We still have surprises for Hamas, and we need to preserve our freedom of action.”