Hamas said on Friday it had received “clear guarantees” from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, along with “direct assurances from the United States,” that the Gaza war has effectively ended.
But living conditions in the besieged enclave have remained dire since a ceasefire took effect on October 10, with little sign of improvement.
The movement said in a statement that it was fully committed to the truce agreement and was working to ensure its success and implementation on the ground, adding that it was proceeding with the handover of the remaining bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza.
Hamas also welcomed remarks by US President Donald Trump opposing Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank, describing them as “positive.” It said the second phase of the agreement to end the Gaza war would require further dialogue and coordination with mediators.
The group stressed its commitment to Palestinian national unity to resolve pending issues concerning governance in Gaza after the war, saying it was approaching an upcoming national dialogue “with open hearts” and extending its hand to all Palestinian factions.
Humanitarian Conditions
Despite the ceasefire, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with residents still struggling amid severe shortages of aid. While Israel has repeatedly announced the entry of humanitarian supplies, only around 100 aid trucks are entering the enclave daily, according to local sources. Most of the remaining trucks carry goods for the private sector—part of an Israeli policy aimed at curbing Hamas’s control over aid distribution.
Amjad Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza, said Israel continued to defy an International Court of Justice ruling obliging it to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.
He accused Israel of tightening its blockade and said that the limited aid reaching Gaza consisted mainly of nutritional supplements, while vital items such as medicines, medical equipment, and hygiene materials remained barred.
The Gaza Government Media Office said Israel was pursuing a “starvation policy” by restricting the entry of basic goods and preventing the delivery of 600 daily aid trucks as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that for the first time on Friday, around 200 trucks carrying medical equipment, supplies, and medicines entered Gaza through the Kissufim crossing, after previously being allowed in only in limited quantities via Kerem Shalom following transfer from Egypt.
Some of the trucks came under attempted looting near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, but Hamas security forces intervened to stop the attacks.
On Thursday, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed that Israel, as the occupying power, was legally bound to ensure the basic needs of Palestinian civilians—including food, shelter, and healthcare—and to facilitate United Nations relief operations, particularly those led by UNRWA.
Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Gaza’s Civil Defense Directorate said the humanitarian catastrophe had remained unchanged since the ceasefire, with only a trickle of aid trucks entering the enclave, insufficient to meet even the minimum needs of residents.
Homes remain in ruins, bodies are still trapped under rubble, and roads are blocked by debris, the agency said, noting that its teams were operating with “almost no resources” amid widespread devastation.
The agency urged the international community and human rights organizations to take immediate and effective action to launch Gaza’s reconstruction, remove rubble, and allow the entry of heavy machinery needed to open roads and recover bodies.
It warned that the continued Israeli ban on rescue and recovery equipment was worsening the crisis and hindering field operations, leaving thousands of families in extreme distress under dire living and health conditions.
The directorate called for urgent entry of heavy machinery and engineering equipment through the crossings without restrictions, the creation of safe humanitarian corridors for rescue and medical teams, and emergency logistical and financial support to clear debris, recover bodies, and rehabilitate basic infrastructure.
International and humanitarian organizations have also appealed for swift intervention to provide urgent supplies and equipment. They said that since the ceasefire, no construction materials, heavy machinery, or essential spare parts had entered Gaza, preventing them from carrying out vital field operations.
They cited urgent needs including cement, building materials, heavy equipment for waste collection and debris removal, spare parts for vehicles, generators, and pumps, as well as water and sewage pipes, computer hardware, and internet cables to maintain services.
Israeli Violations
Meanwhile, Israeli violations continued across Gaza, leaving at least 90 Palestinians dead by midday Friday.
Israeli forces carried out large-scale demolitions in areas east of the Yellow Line, particularly east of Gaza City and Khan Younis. Military vehicles opened heavy machine-gun fire toward populated areas in the east, while naval boats fired on Palestinian fishing vessels off the coast of Khan Younis and central Gaza.
