Israel Blocks Humanitarian Aid to Gaza and Kills Civilians Despite Ceasefire

Conflict and Humanitarian Impact

Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire starting Oct. 10, Israel blocked humanitarian aid and bombed Gaza, killing civilians.

After two Israeli soldiers were killed near Rafah, Israel launched airstrikes that Western and West Asian outlets report killed between at least 26 and 46 Palestinians, including children and other civilians.

Israel also halted aid entry and only agreed to resume deliveries after U.S. pressure, even as the military said it had “resumed” enforcing the truce.

The militant group denied attacking Israeli forces and said it remained committed to the ceasefire.

Israel kept the Rafah crossing closed while carrying out strikes that killed dozens of Palestinians.

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Humanitarian Impact of Gaza Blockade

Israel’s aid blockade drew legal condemnation and detailed evidence of starvation tactics. The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that Israel must ensure basic needs and allow UN humanitarian access. The court rejected claims that UNRWA is tied to Hamas and condemned starvation as a method of warfare.

West Asian and alternative outlets documented meager aid flows, with Gaza officials calling Israel’s restrictions “strangulation.” Gaza officials reported only a fraction of expected trucks entering the area. Even outlets tracking logistics note that deliveries remain far below need, routes are blocked, and Rafah stays closed despite intermittent openings elsewhere.

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Hostage and Aid Negotiations

Israel is using hostage remains and body exchanges to leverage control over the border and aid access. Multiple sources report that Israel is tying the reopening of Rafah to the return of all deceased hostages. Hamas states that rubble and lack of heavy equipment, worsened by Israeli strikes and control, hinder recovery efforts.

Reports indicate that Hamas has returned some bodies and all living hostages. Israel has returned hundreds of Palestinian bodies, many of which have yet to be identified.

Investigators and families have raised concerns about the condition of some of the returned remains. Israel’s insistence on keeping Rafah closed until more bodies are returned continues to restrict civilian access to aid and medical evacuation.

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Civilian Impact of Israeli Strikes

Israeli strikes have repeatedly hit civilian locations during the ceasefire, killing families in places where people sought shelter. Reports described Israeli bombs destroying a café area, shops for displaced people, a police base, media offices, tents for the displaced, and even a former school used as a shelter—killing children and entire families.

Media crews were hit as they broadcast, and Gaza Civil Defense condemned the attacks as deliberate assaults on civilians. These accounts, from multiple regions of Gaza, show Israel killing civilians despite a declared truce and an aid blockade that denies evacuation and treatment.

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Allegations and Denials of Gaza Violence

Multiple outlets, analysts, and activists describe the situation in Gaza as a genocide, while Israeli officials and their allies deny these claims. The New Arab calls Israel’s mass killing a genocide and argues that peace requires dismantling Israel’s carceral system. Modern Diplomacy reports that many label the violence a genocide.

West Asian outlets report that more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed. AL-Monitor details that Israel dropped 153 tons of explosives in one round of strikes. In contrast, Sky News reports that Israel denies the genocide allegations.

Mediaite notes that Jared Kushner publicly denies that Israel committed genocide. The International Court of Justice’s advisory condemns starvation as a method of warfare, highlighting accusations that Israel is using starvation and bombardment against civilians during a supposed ceasefire.

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