Day 661 - Flood, not famine: Can Israel shift its Gaza aid strategy?

5 snips

Jul 28, 2025

Lazar Berman, a diplomatic correspondent, dives into Israel's humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza, discussing recent airdrops and the impact of international pressure. He highlights France's bold move toward recognizing a Palestinian state and the potential ramifications for Israel-Hamas relations. The conversation also touches on the shrinking support from the Jewish diaspora amid the conflict. Meanwhile, a poignant account from Ukraine illustrates the resilience of the Jewish community during crises, linking the complex dynamics across regions.

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INSIGHT

Israel's Aid Strategy Missteps

Israel repeatedly imposed strict sieges on Gaza but always relaxed them under international pressure.
Attempts to use humanitarian aid as leverage against Hamas have failed and hurt Israel's strategic goals.

ADVICE

Strategic Aid and Transition Advice

Flood Gaza with well-resourced humanitarian aid zones to ease civilian suffering and reduce violence.
Slowly transfer aid management to the Palestinian Authority to help build post-Hamas governance, despite political opposition.

INSIGHT

Egypt-UAE-Gaza Aid Cooperation

Egypt and the UAE are working to supply Gaza with water and aid, with Israel's cooperation.
These efforts could form stable humanitarian areas and leverage diplomatic influence for Israel.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Yesterday, aircraft from Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped dozens of pallets of humanitarian aid in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. This morning, Israel says more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip on the first day of a partial pause in fighting. Berman explores how Israel's currently softened position is playing out on the global stage and compares it to previous cycles in which Israel allowed more aid into the Strip.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to press US President Donald Trump on ending “the unspeakable suffering” in Gaza when they meet at the US president’s golf resort in Scotland today, according to a Downing Street spokesperson says. The meeting at Turnberry, southwestern Scotland, comes as European countries express growing alarm at the situation in Gaza. What is Trump currently saying about the war in Gaza?

Foreign Ministry director general Eden Bar-Tal summoned France’s deputy ambassador Mikaël Griffon for a reprimand at ministry headquarters in Jerusalem yesterday, over French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement last week that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state. During the dressing down, he accused France of undermining talks for a hostage release deal with Hamas, as well as future negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Berman delves into the idea that all the pressure on Israel to end the war -- and this "prize" of a state to the Palestinian people -- could harm the ceasefire negotiations and drag out the war with an emboldened Hamas. And we ask, is the UK set to follow France's example?

And finally, the home of a Chabad rabbi in Dnipro was hit during a deadly Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city early Saturday. We learn about the "Shabbat miracle" that saved his family and hear what is happening with the Jewish community in Ukraine as the war marks some 1250 days.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Once again, Israel tried to restrict Gaza aid. Once again, it failed miserably

Trump: Israel will ‘have to make decision’ on Gaza war, images of starvation ‘terrible’

Hundreds of rabbis demand Israel stop ‘using starvation as a weapon of war’

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: An Israeli soldier stands next to a truck at the Kerem Shalom crossing between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip on July 27, 2025. (Carlos REYES / AFP)

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