Gaza humanitarian crisis escalates as Israel cuts aid over delayed return of dead hostages
According to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the UN, no fuel or gas will be allowed into Gaza except for specific humanitarian infrastructure needs.
Israel has announced plans to halve the number of aid trucks entering Gaza from Wednesday, citing delays by Hamas in returning the bodies of hostages killed during last year’s October attacks.
The decision follows frustration from families of the deceased hostages over the slow pace of repatriation. According to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the UN, no fuel or gas will be allowed into Gaza except for specific humanitarian infrastructure needs.
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Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, confirmed that the UN had received the note from COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military responsible for overseeing aid flows into the territory.
COGAT had previously said it expected about 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily during the ceasefire. The note stated that the restrictions were being imposed because “Hamas violated the agreement regarding the release of the bodies of the hostages.”
Israel also decided not to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as planned under the ceasefire, accusing Hamas of failing to return all deceased hostages. Israeli officials said the reductions in aid were part of sanctions against Hamas.
The move follows assessments by Israeli defence officials that the group had made limited efforts to return the remaining hostage bodies, angering families.
Deceased hostages
The Red Cross warned that retrieving the 24 remaining deceased hostages could take “much more time” due to conditions in Gaza.
The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that forensic experts had identified four slain hostages returned by Hamas on Monday night, including Guy Illouz, 26, who died of untreated wounds in captivity; Nepalese national Bipin Joshi, 23, who was murdered in captivity; and two others whose names will be released later.
Hamas said it returned the remains of Yossi Sharabi, 53, and IDF officer Captain Daniel Perez, 22, along with Illouz and Joshi. The returns came hours after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages abducted during the October 7, 2023, attacks that sparked the Gaza war.
The ceasefire brokered by former US President Donald Trump required all living and deceased hostages to be returned within 72 hours of the IDF’s withdrawal, though it allowed mediators to follow up if some remains could not be retrieved immediately.
Families criticised Israel for failing to enforce a strict deadline. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded a halt to further ceasefire implementation until all hostages are returned.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. The UN, EU, and World Bank estimate that $70 billion (Sh9.04 trillion) is needed to rebuild the territory, with $20 billion (Sh2.58 trillion) required over the next three years. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 67,600 deaths, with women and children accounting for roughly half.
Freed hostages remain in medical care, many suffering from severe weight loss and trauma.
In the West Bank and Gaza, several released prisoners have been hospitalised due to beatings endured during detention. Nasser Hospital in Gaza recently received the bodies of 45 Palestinians, part of an expected total of 450.
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