Israel restricted aid into Gaza and kept the enclave’s border shut on Tuesday while re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing men on the street, darkening the outlook for U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war.
Israel told the United Nations it is going to only allow 300 aid trucks into Gaza – half the agreed day by day number – from Wednesday, and that no fuel or gas will likely be allowed in, aside from specific needs related to humanitarian infrastructure, in response to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the United Nations.
The note from COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows into Gaza, said the restrictions were being taken because “Hamas violated the agreement regarding the discharge of the bodies of the hostages.”
“We’ve seen COGAT’s communication, and we encourage all parties to stick to the parameters and agreements set out within the ceasefire,” said Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“We also hope the stays of all deceased hostages will likely be returned and that implementation of the ceasefire agreement moves forward.”
U.S. officials and international aid groups were also notified, in response to three Associated Press sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to debate the matter. The Israeli government didn’t immediately comment.
Trump said on Tuesday Phase Two of the ceasefire deal now begins, but in addition noted the delay in handing over the deceased.
“THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!” he said in a post on Truth Social.
COGAT had said on Friday that it expected about 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza day by day throughout the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas has swiftly reclaimed the streets of Gaza’s urban areas, following the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops last week.
In a video circulated late on Monday, Hamas fighters dragged seven men with hands tied behind their backs right into a Gaza City square, forced them to their knees and shot them from behind, as dozens of onlookers watched from nearby shopfronts.
A Hamas source confirmed that the video was filmed on Monday and that Hamas fighters participated within the executions. Reuters was able to verify the placement by visible geographic features.
Delay in handing over bodies
Trump has given his blessing to Hamas to reassert some control of Gaza, no less than temporarily. Israeli officials, who say any final settlement must permanently disarm Hamas, have thus far kept away from commenting publicly on the re-emergence of the group’s fighters.
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On Monday the U.S. president proclaimed the “historic dawn of a brand new Middle East” to Israel’s parliament, as Israel and Hamas were exchanging the last 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
But thus far, Hamas has handed over only 4 coffins of dead hostages, leaving no less than 23 presumed dead and one unaccounted for, still in the Gaza Strip.
The group informed mediators that it is going to begin transferring an additional 4 bodies to Israel from 1900 GMT on Tuesday, an official involved within the operation told Reuters.
Aid trucks have yet to be permitted to enter Gaza at the complete anticipated rate of lots of per day, and plans have yet to be implemented to open the crossing to Egypt to let some Gazans out, initially to evacuate the wounded for medical treatment.
Hamas return demonstrates hurdles to settlement
The highly public return of Hamas to regulate of Gaza’s streets underscores the hurdles to progressing from the initial ceasefire – Phase Certainly one of Trump’s plan – to a everlasting settlement that might prevent a brand new eruption of fighting.
Gaza residents said Hamas fighters were increasingly visible on Tuesday, deploying along routes needed for aid deliveries.
Palestinian security sources said dozens of individuals had been killed in clashes between Hamas fighters and rivals in recent days.
Meanwhile, Israeli drone fire killed five people as they went to envision on houses in a suburb east of Gaza City, and an airstrike killed one person and injured one other near Khan Younis, Gaza health authorities said.
Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it had fired on individuals who crossed truce lines and approached its forces after ignoring calls to show back.
A summit co-hosted by Trump in Egypt on Monday ended with no public announcement of major progress towards establishing a world military force for Gaza, or a brand new governing body.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently maintained that the war cannot end until Hamas gives up its weapons and ceases to regulate Gaza, a requirement that the fighters have rejected, torpedoing all previous peace efforts.
Hamas sources told Reuters on Tuesday the group would tolerate no more violations of order in Gaza and would goal collaborators, armed looters and drug dealers.
The group, though greatly weakened after two years of pummeling Israeli bombardment and ground incursions, has been progressively reasserting itself for the reason that ceasefire took hold.
It has deployed lots of of staff to begin rubble clearing on key routes needed to access damaged or destroyed housing, and to repair broken water pipes. Road clearance and security provision will even be needed for increased aid delivery.
The ceasefire has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza triggered by the October 7, 2023 attack during which Hamas-led gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, in response to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza killed nearly 68,000 people in response to local health authorities, with hundreds more feared dead under the rubble. Gaza’s Civil Defence Service said 250 bodies had been recovered for the reason that truce began.
Swathes of Gaza are in ruins and the worldwide hunger monitor said in August there was famine within the territory. Hundreds of Gazans have been returning to homes for the reason that ceasefire, many finding whole streets bombed into dust.
—Additional files from Global News