Israel Keeps Gaza Border Crossings Closed for Tenth Day Amid Severe Humanitarian Crisis

Israel has continued to keep all Gaza border crossings closed for the tenth consecutive day, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis after two years of genocide and amid a fragile ceasefire and leaving more than two million Palestinians facing dire conditions.

The closures included the Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, which was only reopened at the beginning of February to allow a trickle of Palestinians to cross for the first time in months, including patients in need of urgent medical care.

Human Rights Watch stated in a February report that Israeli restrictions on aid had continued to cause shortages of medicines, reconstruction equipment, food, and water inside the strip.

Israel’s COGAT claimed in its statement on the closures of the Gaza crossings that enough food had been delivered to Gaza since the beginning of the ceasefire to provide four times the need of the population, without providing evidence. It said “the existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period.

It also announced that rotations of humanitarian staff into Gaza would be postponed, raising concerns among aid groups already struggling to maintain operations.

Last week, Ismail Ibrahim al-Thawabta, director general of the Gaza Government Media Office, said the Gaza Strip “faces indicators of a worsening humanitarian crisis if restrictions on aid continue. Responsibility for preventing this crisis lies with the occupying power, which is limiting humanitarian supplies in clear violation of international humanitarian law and its obligations towards the civilian population.”

Despite the ceasefire which took effect in October, Israel has continued to severely restrict the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The ceasefire stipulated that “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip”. However, the reality on the ground remains very different.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, from October 10, 2025 to February 10, 2026 only 31,178 trucks entered Gaza out of 72,000, averaging 260 trucks per day. That is only 43 percent of the trucks allocated.

According to truck drivers, aid deliveries are facing significant delays, with Israeli inspections taking much longer than expected.

In addition, Israel has blocked essential and nutritious food items, including meat, dairy, and vegetables, crucial for a balanced diet. Instead, non-nutritious foodstuffs are being allowed, such as snacks, chocolate, crisps, and soft drinks.

Also, the Israeli occupation government said it will ban 37 aid groups from war-torn Gaza, the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem on March 1, a move described as having potentially devastating consequences for Palestinians.

The vast majority of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents rely on aid groups for food, water, healthcare, shelter and other essentials after Israel’s more than two-year war destroyed much of the territory.

The Israeli occupation authorities said late on Monday that they would reopen the Karem Abu Salem crossing to allow for the “gradual entry of humanitarian aid” into the territory. That crossing sits at the intersection of the Gaza Strip boundary with the Israeli and Egyptian borders and was also shut on Saturday.

As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel has a legal responsibility to ensure there is sufficient food for civilians. That obligation is not affected by the war with Iran, said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The World Health Organization said on Friday that medical supplies in Gaza were running critically low. Supplies of some items such as gauze and needles have already run out, said WHO’s regional director Hanan Balkhy, citing information from the Palestinian Health Ministry.

“Stocks of essential medicines, trauma supplies and surgical consumables are critically low, and ⁠fuel shortages continue ⁠to limit hospital operations,” she said.

“The situation is difficult, and we will be running out of whatever is remaining.” On Tuesday, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza said it had reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing “for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.” It had closed entry points earlier ⁠citing missile threats from Iran amid an escalating air war after Israeli and US forces attacked Iran on Saturday.

Some 18,000 people, including injured children and people with chronic diseases, are awaiting evacuation, according to the UN agency.

Balkhy said that it was able to import some medical supplies and fuel on Tuesday and Wednesday, but ⁠that ⁠some trucks remain on standby in Al-Arish, Egypt.

“We’re talking about … maximum 200 out of 600 daily trucks that need to go in are going in so that is really not enough to support the needs in Gaza,” she said. She called for more fuel to be allowed to enter to run hospitals.

Half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still shut after the Israeli war and the ones that are open are struggling to sustain critical services such as surgery, dialysis and intensive care, she said.