The Israeli government has introduced tighter restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip, halting the planned opening of the Rafah border crossing, while Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians amid a fragile ceasefire with Hamas.
Israel informed the United Nations on Tuesday that it would only allow 300 aid trucks per day into Gaza, a significant reduction from the previously agreed 600. Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, confirmed the notification from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military’s body overseeing aid distribution, reports Al Jazeera and agencies.
The COGAT’s announcement also stated that no fuel or gas would be allowed into Gaza except for specific humanitarian purposes. In response, UN officials noted that 300 trucks would be insufficient to meet Gaza’s dire needs. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported that the daily delivery of 300 trucks would barely make a dent in alleviating the severe food shortages plaguing the region.
Additionally, Israeli authorities declared that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed, delaying any potential humanitarian aid from Egypt. This decision followed hours after Israeli forces launched deadly attacks in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least six people in Gaza City and three others in Khan Younis. Medical sources indicated that at least five of the casualties were killed in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood.
These attacks occurred just days after a ceasefire took effect, aimed at facilitating a prisoner exchange and partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. According to Palestinian health officials, the war has claimed over 67,900 lives and wounded more than 170,000 since October 2023. The situation is worsened by the extensive destruction, with thousands of bodies feared to be trapped beneath the rubble.
The ceasefire has allowed the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and 20 Israeli captives from Gaza. However, Hamas has yet to return the bodies of all deceased Israeli captives. Hamas initially delivered four bodies, with plans to transfer the remaining four on Tuesday. Israel’s military said the Red Cross had received these bodies for forensic testing.
As the ceasefire enters its second phase, Israeli officials have expressed frustration over Hamas’s delays in returning the bodies of dead captives, triggering threats to restrict aid into Gaza. US President Donald Trump echoed these concerns, noting the delay on his Truth Social platform and warning of further action.
The United Nations and the International Red Cross have called for the opening of all crossings into Gaza to allow for urgent aid deliveries. The UN reports that it has 190,000 metric tonnes of aid waiting to be sent, with UNICEF holding 1,370 trucks of supplies ready for distribution.
UNICEF’s Ricardo Pires emphasized the need for a minimum of 600 trucks a day to meet the scale of the destruction, which remains far from being achieved. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed these calls, stressing the critical need for medical supplies to support overstretched hospitals in Gaza. WHO’s Tarik Jasarevic urged for increased delivery of healthcare materials to ensure that health workers have the resources needed to continue providing care.
