Israel halves aid to Gaza and delays reopening the Rafah border as tensions rise over the return of hostage remains and growing humanitarian needs.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is showing signs of collapse as Israel announced new restrictions on aid entering Gaza and kept the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed. The move comes amid disputes over the delayed return of hostage remains and renewed violence on the ground.
Israel Tightens Aid and Keeps Rafah Shut
Israel notified the United Nations on Tuesday that it would allow only 300 trucks of humanitarian aid per day into Gaza — half the number previously agreed under the US-brokered ceasefire deal. The note from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that no fuel or gas would enter the enclave except for essential humanitarian use. Israeli authorities also confirmed the Rafah crossing with Egypt will remain closed indefinitely, defying earlier plans to reopen it.
Dispute Over Hostage Remains Escalates
The move follows mounting frustration in Israel over Hamas’s slow return of deceased captives. While eight bodies have been handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, twenty remain unaccounted for. Hamas claims that finding the burial sites has proven difficult due to widespread destruction in Gaza. Still, Israel accused the group of intentionally stalling.
Former US President Donald Trump, who brokered the truce, expressed anger online, writing: “THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!”
Renewed Violence in Gaza
Even as the ceasefire technically remains in place, Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians on Tuesday in attacks across northern and southern Gaza. Local hospitals reported six deaths in Gaza City and three in Khan Younis, with witnesses describing shootings in Shujayea and drone strikes targeting civilians returning to damaged homes.
The Israeli military said it opened fire after identifying “suspects” posing threats near its positions, while Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNICEF condemned Israel’s restrictions, warning that 300 trucks per day are far from enough to address the needs of Gaza’s population. “It will take at least 600 trucks a day to meet minimum requirements,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also called for urgent medical supplies, with spokesman Tarik Jasarevic noting that hospitals remain overwhelmed: “We need to scale up the delivery of medical supplies because the pressure on hospitals is not going to ease overnight.”
Political and Human Fallout
The ceasefire deal, part of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, was intended to pave the way for reconstruction and the creation of a transitional Gaza authority supervised by a proposed ‘Board of Peace’ led by Trump and possibly Tony Blair. Yet, the renewed restrictions, sporadic violence, and fragile political trust have thrown the future of that plan into doubt.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that 15 Palestinian technocrats approved by all factions were ready to administer Gaza’s civilian needs but have not yet been deployed due to the instability.
Cost of Destruction and Recovery
As tens of thousands of displaced Gazans return to ruins, the scale of devastation is staggering. Jaco Cilliers of the UN Development Programme said reconstruction would cost US$70 billion, with about 55 million tonnes of rubble — “the equivalent of 13 pyramids of Giza.” At least 67,913 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, while 170,134 have been wounded, according to local health authorities.
Israel’s decision to halve aid and keep Rafah closed has heightened tensions in an already fragile truce. As humanitarian agencies plead for greater access and the reconstruction bill mounts, Gaza’s future remains uncertain — trapped between stalled diplomacy, shattered infrastructure, and the human cost of a war without resolution.
Sources: Aljazeera (2025) , The Guardian (2025)
Keywords: Gaza Aid Restriction, Israel Ceasefire, Rafah Crossing Closed, Humanitarian Crisis, Hostage Remains
