GAZA, (PIC)
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that Israel continues to tighten its blockade on the Gaza Strip by closing crossings and controlling the entry of aid and the number of travelers through the Rafah crossing.
In a video statement on Monday, Qassem explained that Israel has kept the Rafah crossing closed while significantly restricting the entry of humanitarian aid. He noted that Israel has failed to allow in the agreed number of aid trucks, letting in less than half, while also controlling the number of people permitted to travel.
He said that Israel is pursuing a policy of “engineered starvation” in Gaza, accompanied by rising prices of essential goods as hunger deepens, alongside ongoing violations through airstrikes and killings, as occurred earlier today.
Qassem added that what is happening reflects a systematic Israeli policy of violations that requires a serious response from mediators, guarantor states, and the “peace council” to put an end to these actions and lift the blockade on Gaza after two years of what he described as genocide.
Meanwhile, Ismail al-Thawabta, Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, warned of an unprecedented worsening of the humanitarian crisis amid the continued closure of crossings, particularly Rafah.
In a press statement, al-Thawabta said that the closure of crossings has also disrupted travel, especially for humanitarian cases and students.
He explained that more than 22,000 patients and wounded individuals urgently need to travel abroad for medical treatment, including around 19,000 who have completed medical procedures and received official referrals but remain stranded awaiting permission to leave.
He added that more than 1,000 students risk losing their academic future despite having been accepted into universities abroad and meeting travel requirements.
Al-Thawabta noted that only 3,150 travelers have been able to leave through Rafah out of 11,600 who were supposed to travel under previous agreements, an implementation rate of just 27%.
He also said that Israel partially reopened the Rafah crossing in early February 2026, allowing the departure of patients and wounded individuals and the return of Palestinians under Israeli conditions and security approvals, as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.
The Rafah crossing is the only land route connecting the Gaza Strip to the outside world without passing through Israel. It has been under Israeli control since May 2024, after being reopened for limited periods in early 2025.
