Israel delays humanitarian provisions of Gaza ceasefire deal

The Gaza government announced on Friday that Israel is delaying the implementation of the humanitarian provisions of the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on 19 January, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at a press conference at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, Salama Marouf, head of the Gaza Government Media Office, said that “despite 20 days passing since the agreement, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic due to Israeli obstruction.”

He explained that “the agreement mandates the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, including 50 fuel trucks, alongside the provision of 60,000 mobile housing units, 200,000 tents, generators, spare parts, solar panels and materials for rebuilding Gaza.”

He added that “the deal also includes removing debris, rehabilitating health facilities, bakeries and infrastructure, and ensuring the movement of patients and the injured through the Rafah Crossing.”

However, according to Marouf, only 8,500 trucks have entered Gaza since 19 January  – far below the 12,000 expected under the agreement.

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He said the majority of these trucks contain food packages, fruits and vegetables, while critical aid such as shelter supplies and medical equipment is being deliberately delayed.

Marouf highlighted that “just 10 per cent of the required tents have entered Gaza, and Israel has not allowed a single mobile housing unit to be delivered.”

Regarding fuel, he stated that only 15 trucks enter daily instead of the agreed 50, which severely impacts hospitals and essential public services.

The official also noted that international organisations informed Gaza authorities that “Israel is refusing to coordinate the entry of basic materials needed to repair water and sewage networks in northern Gaza.”

Marouf called on “the international community to take responsibility and not remain passive in the face of this humanitarian disaster”, warning that “Israel is using siege tactics as a form of genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.”

He also cautioned that “the lack of heavy machinery to clear 55 million tons of rubble is hampering efforts to recover bodies from under the debris.”

A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on 19 January, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 47,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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