Palestinians react as they wait to receive food at a soup kitchen in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
The Rafah crossing, the only gateway for Gazans to the outside world that does not pass through Israel, had reopened for the movement of people on February 2, nearly two years after Israeli forces seized control of it during Tel Aviv's genocidal war on Gaza.
"Israeli authorities have closed all crossings, including Rafah, and have suspended humanitarian movements in and near areas where Israeli troops remain deployed in Gaza," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"It is imperative that all crossings be reopened... as soon as possible. In recent days, our partners have been forced to ration fuel, prioritize life-saving operations, albeit in reduced capacity as our local stocks are going down."
Dujarric said that there were some stockpiles already in Gaza but that "when the doors are shut, we obviously stretch whatever we have to make it last longer."
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000, most of them women and children. The genocide has severely restricted the flow of humanitarian aid, with crossings frequently closed or operating at limited capacity.
Despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025, brokered by Cairo, Doha, Ankara, and Washington, Tel Aviv has violated the truce hundreds of times, per the United Nations, through actively attacking Gaza, killing more Palestinians and limiting the flow of humanitarian aid into the strip.
Egypt has served as a primary conduit for assistance into Gaza since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, facilitating the entry of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aid through Rafah, alongside international relief agencies.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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