Netanyahu OKs Gaza City Offensive; CBN News Talks to Grateful Gazans Receiving Food Aid - CBN NewsWatch - August 22, 2025

GAZA STRIP – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the Israel Defense Forces' plans to capture the major Hamas stronghold of Gaza City. On Thursday, CBN News gained an exclusive look at one organization on the front lines, providing food to the people of Gaza.

The prime minister met with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Netanyahu explained, "We are in the decision-making phase. I arrived in the Gaza Division today to approve the plans that the IDF presented to me and the Minister of Defense for taking over Gaza City and defeating Hamas."

He added, "At the same time, I have instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel. These two things – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand."

On the eve of the military operation, the IDF has begun calling medical officials inside Gaza City to arrange safe passage for sick and wounded Palestinians to southern Gaza.

An IDF coordinator for Gaza told an Israeli health official, “This requires you to prepare a plan to transfer the medical equipment from north to south, so that you will be able to provide treatment for all the patients in the southern Strip and prepare the hospitals to receive the patients coming from the north.”

Some argue the IDF's efforts undermine claims by Hamas and the international community that Israel is waging a genocide against the people of Gaza.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, posting on X, slammed a new report published today in The Telegraph that the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has, for the first time, declared a famine in Gaza.

“You know who IS starving?" Huckabee asked. "The hostages kidnapped and tortured by uncivilized Hamas savages. Maybe the overfed terrorists could share some of their warehouse-full they stole with hungry people, especially the hostages.”

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CBN News got an exclusive look at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's efforts to provide food directly to the people of Gaza.

The GHF, which has been partially funded by the U.S., has distributed about 130 million meals in just about three months, under some of the most challenging conditions, to distribute humanitarian aid.

GHF Spokesman Chapin Fay told us, “We'll hit probably 131, 132 (million) today. And, you know, our sites are safe, and we’re looking to scale so we can feed more people.”

Fay insists that the GHF is a safe alternative to Hamas, which often steals aid and then sells it to the people it was intended for.

“You see Hamas riding around with armed men, stealing the aid, and taking it. We believe Hamas made $1 billion during this war alone. And that's why we're here. We are doing it in a way – we're feeding people in a way that Hamas or anyone else cannot steal it. We're proud of our record of over 130 million meals delivered.”

One Gaza woman told us what the aid meant. She said, “I am safe. I am good. I can eat today. Thank you for everyone working on this project. Thank you for all of them.”

“As you can see, this is yet another successful distribution," Fay stated. "Over the last month, they have been very – running much more smoothly, much more securely and efficiently, and safely. And we plan to get better and better every day and feed more and more people every day.”

He noted that the GHF has extended an open invitation to collaborate with the United Nations.

“And we are very hopeful that we can scale along with them, because after all, we're all here to feed the people of Gaza. And anyone who would like to do so with us, we'd be more than happy to work with," Fay said.