Israel allows five UN aid lorries into Gaza after 11-week blockade

An Israeli military body says it has allowed five UN lorries carrying humanitarian aid, including baby food, into the Gaza Strip after 11 weeks of blockade.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his decision to let in a "minimal" amount of food for the 2.1 million Palestinians in the territory followed pressure from allies in the US Senate.

"We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint," he stressed in a video in response to criticism of the move in Israel.

Netanyahu said food deliveries would continue only until the Israeli military and private companies had set up hubs to distribute aid under a US-backed plan that the UN has rejected.