Israel is set to drastically reduce humanitarian aid entering Gaza, cutting the number of daily trucks allowed through under the ceasefire agreement by half. The decision comes just days after Israel received the last 20 living hostages from Hamas and follows months of deteriorating conditions across the enclave, where aid groups say millions of Palestinians already face famine.
According to United Nations officials, the Israeli military informed them that only 300 aid trucks would be permitted into Gaza each day—half of the 600 trucks per day agreed upon in the ceasefire deal. The Rafah crossing, once the largest entry point for humanitarian assistance, will remain closed indefinitely, Israeli officials said. Fuel and gas will also continue to be barred, except in limited quantities for humanitarian operations.
Humanitarian organizations immediately warned that the reduction would be catastrophic. Aid groups have consistently said that between 500 and 600 trucks are needed daily to meet Gaza’s minimum population needs. Instead, the territory continues to experience severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and fuel.
The decision came after Israel received all of its remaining living captives. Hamas, in turn, continues to hand over the bodies of deceased hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement, though Israel claims delays in the transfer process amount to a violation of the deal.
Israel’s military agency overseeing civilian affairs, known as COGAT, said the decision to restrict aid was made in response to a “ceasefire violation” by Hamas. On Monday, Hamas released four of 28 bodies of deceased captives and was expected to release four to six more on Tuesday.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that authorities had received four deceased hostages transferred by the Red Cross to Israeli military officials inside Gaza. The bodies were taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine for identification, and families were notified. This followed the previous day’s transfer of four other deceased captives.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the exchange of remains, described the process as “a massive challenge,” emphasizing that it could take days or weeks to locate and recover all remains. The Associated Press reported that Israeli officials were aware there would likely be delays, and U.S. officials were also notified of the aid cuts.
Despite these realities, the halving of aid threatens to worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and further undermine the already fragile ceasefire.
Israeli bombardments have destroyed at least 70 percent of Gaza’s structures, leaving behind vast piles of rubble and debris. Israeli authorities have barred the entry of heavy machinery, making it nearly impossible for rescue teams to clear collapsed buildings or recover bodies.
The ongoing ban, critics say, also makes it harder for Hamas to locate and return Israeli remains buried under the ruins. Journalist Motasem A Dalloul wrote, “Israeli occupation officials threaten to resume the genocide in Gaza as the Palestinian resistance failed to find bodies of deceased Israeli prisoners. The reason that they have not been found is Israel which insists on not allowing the entry of heavy equipment in order to remove the rubble, open streets and look for the bodies.”
According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, more than 250 bodies have been recovered so far, but thousands more remain buried. “More than 10,000 people are under the rubble, and we don’t have the means to reach them,” a spokesperson told Al Jazeera.
The Gaza Government Media Office said that Israel’s blockade of essential machinery has left the territory without the ability to safely clear streets or recover victims from collapsed homes.
Under the ceasefire agreement, for every Israeli body recovered, Israel must release 15 Palestinians’ remains, totaling 360 Palestinians. Nasser Hospital in Gaza confirmed it had received the first 45 Palestinian bodies, some of which showed signs of torture prior to their death.
The process has raised deep moral questions as the exchange proceeds amid ongoing humanitarian restrictions. Human rights advocates warn that the aid cuts and refusal to permit rubble-clearing equipment collectively amount to collective punishment, prolonging suffering for civilians.
The ceasefire’s first phase also saw the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for the hostages. Many freed prisoners required medical treatment immediately after release.
In Ramallah, Murad Barakat, medical director of the Palestine Medical Complex, said the facility received 14 men, discharging all but two. Dr. Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor, said their injuries suggested they “were subjected to severe beatings, reflecting the extent of the violence they endured.”
Kamal Abu Shanab, who was freed after more than 18 years in prison, described chronic pain from untreated injuries: “For eight months, I wasn’t given even a pill for the pain.”
The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify the abuse claims. Israel’s Prison Service said it was unaware of such allegations.
While Palestinians celebrated the return of prisoners, Israeli families were still processing the trauma of captivity.
Dalia Cusnir-Horn said her brother-in-law Eitan Horn had lost more than 40 percent of his body weight during months of confinement. “He’s just learning now … friends he knew that were murdered, and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it’s overwhelming and it’s hard,” she said.
Another family member, Moshe Levi, described the reunion of his brother-in-law Omri Miran with his daughters. “He could feel like he’s a father again,” Levi said.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted on social media, expressing concern that too few deceased hostages had been returned. He made no mention of Israel’s decision to reduce aid. Trump warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
A day earlier, he had celebrated Israel’s deal with Hamas, touting it as the eighth conflict he had “settled.”
The humanitarian implications of the decision to halve aid, however, were left unaddressed in his remarks.
Even under the ceasefire, Israeli forces remain stationed in parts of northern Gaza. Gaza’s Health Ministry said three people were killed by Israeli troops near Gaza City. The Israeli military said its soldiers had “opened fire to remove the threat” after individuals approached them and “did not comply with orders to stop.”
The Health Ministry now estimates the war has killed over 67,600 Palestinians, with women and children making up roughly half of the dead. The ministry says it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, though independent experts say its figures are the most reliable current estimates.
With Rafah closed and fuel still largely banned, reconstruction remains impossible. The UN Development Programme, European Union, and World Bank jointly estimate it will cost $70 billion to rebuild Gaza.
Displaced resident Mohamad Abu Hajras pleaded for action: “There is no infrastructure, electricity, water or anything that is fit for life.”
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that 15 Palestinian technocrats had been selected to administer Gaza with approval from all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Israel. But basic conditions remain dire, with thousands of displaced families living amid rubble without access to clean water, sanitation, or power.
As Israel enforces the reduction to 300 daily aid trucks and keeps fuel restrictions in place, the humanitarian outlook for Gaza remains grim. UN officials warn that famine could soon become inevitable if the flow of food, water, and medical supplies is not restored to levels promised in the ceasefire.
The halving of aid deliveries—announced just as hostages were returned and bodies exchanged—has underscored how fragile the ceasefire remains. Even as international negotiators urge restraint, each new restriction further erodes hope that relief will reach Gaza’s civilians in time.
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