Israel Refuses to Reopen Rafah Crossing, Undermining Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Israel is refusing to reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt, choking humanitarian access and undercutting key ceasefire commitments.

“Large-scale aid convoys have not yet arrived in Gaza City or northern areas”

AL-Monitor

Netanyahu has tied reopening Rafah to the return of bodies of Israeli hostages, using the crossing as leverage.

AL-Monitor

Aid groups and mediators say the route is vital for life-saving deliveries.

Hamas and aid organizations say Israel is keeping Rafah shut, delaying aid and medical evacuations.

Even as an international task force stands up to monitor the ceasefire, Israel’s closure and reductions in aid flows persist.

Gaza authorities accuse Israel of allowing only a fraction of promised trucks, deepening the crisis the ceasefire was meant to ease.

Closing Rafah severely disrupts the aid pipeline while UN agencies report that supplies already fall far short of what Gaza needs to survive.

The World Food Programme states that only about 750 tonnes of aid are entering daily through two Israeli-controlled crossings, which is far below the 2,000-tonne target.

El Periódico

The programme calls for opening more routes such as Erez and Zikkim to increase aid deliveries.

Al Jazeera highlights the daily shortfall in tonnage and restrictions on key routes that block large-scale deliveries to northern Gaza.

TRT World reports that Gaza authorities urgently require at least 600 aid trucks per day to meet basic needs.

5Pillars notes that starvation deaths are increasing and cites allegations of genocide against Israel as the deadly toll of the siege grows.

Israel’s military has continued killing Palestinians during the ceasefire, undermining any claim that closing Rafah is about stabilizing the truce.

“The UN humanitarian chief has urged Israel to open more border crossings to allow essential aid into Gaza, where a blockade has been in place for over seven months despite a ceasefire”

5Pillars

Democracy Now! reports that Israel killed at least 13 Palestinians and injured eight in a single day despite the ceasefire.

CBS News states that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 Palestinians after Israel accused Hamas of violations.

Gulf News reports over 80 Israeli breaches and a shoot-to-kill zone along the Yellow Line.

The Journal documents Israeli troops firing on Gazans near positions, causing civilian deaths.

West Asian and alternative outlets describe these actions as part of a broader Gaza genocide.

5Pillars cites allegations of genocide and a death toll exceeding 70,000.

Israel is returning Palestinian bodies while Palestinians and human rights advocates allege torture and executions, which Israel denies.

France 24 reports that Gaza’s Health Ministry observed signs of torture on the returned bodies and has called for a UN investigation, a request Israel has rejected.

Acento

Demócrata describes the presence of handcuffs, blindfolds, and alleged summary executions on some of the bodies.

Daily Mail and ABC11 note that Israel has returned around 165 to 195 Palestinian bodies alongside the remains of Israeli hostages, with calls for a UN probe into the matter.

WWNY reports that funeral prayers were held in Gaza for 54 recently returned Palestinians and that some bodies showed signs of abuse.

Netanyahu’s government is using the closure of Rafah as leverage against the return of bodies, making humanitarian access dependent on political demands.

Washington and its allies are building a coordination center and discussing an international security force.

“The World Food Programme stated that food supplies to Gaza are rising but still fall short of the daily target of 2,000 tonnes because only two border crossings are open”

Tribune India

Israel’s refusal to reopen Rafah undermines the humanitarian core of the ceasefire.

Tribune India

NPR reports that the plan involves a US-staffed coordination center and an international stabilization force while Israeli troops still control about half of Gaza.

The Guardian notes ongoing body exchanges under the ceasefire and increasing global calls for accountability, including United Nations sanctions over alleged genocidal actions.

Sky News describes UK officers deploying to assist monitoring, yet aid remains constrained.

Mirage News relays the World Food Programme’s demand to open additional crossings like Erez and Zikkim because current Israeli-controlled routes and damaged roads cannot meet needs.

Keeping Rafah closed blocks a primary artery for food, fuel, and medical evacuations, directly contradicting the ceasefire’s aim to save lives.