Israel: Humanitarian aid to Gaza reduced until hostages' bodies are returned

Israeli officials have ordered the closure of the Rafah crossing and the temporary reduction in the flow of aid to the Strip due to the failure to deliver all the bodies of the deceased hostages. In fact, on Monday they were supposed to be handed over to Israel only four of the 28 expected bodiesThe identified bodies would be those of the Nepalese student Bipin Joshi and three Israelis, one of whom was called Guy Illouz. The other two bodies remain unnamed.

Senior Hamas officials handed over four of the 28 hostages' bodies yesterday, October 13. The release followed pressure from Israel and international mediators, which forced Hamas to relent. Israeli officials have declared their intention to Close the Rafah crossing, which is essential for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestine, until the 24 missing bodies are returned. Israel had set today, Tuesday 14 October, as the deadline for the return of the hostages' bodies, and has accused Hamas of failing to respect the ceasefire agreements.

The Times of Israel reported that mediators reported difficulty locating all the bodies under the rubble. According to the public broadcaster Kan, however, Israel believes that some of the remains are already in the possession of Hamas.

The World Health Organization has reported a worsening health crisis in Gaza.: over 15.600 patients, including 3.800 children, require immediate evacuation for treatment. These are mostly amputees and seriously injured. The WHO also calls for monitoring epidemics and restoring humanitarian corridors.

Hamas, on the other hand, accused the Israeli army of violating the ceasefire agreement with a military operation conducted this morning in Gaza, in which several Palestinians were killed. In this regard, the spokesperson Hazem Qassem called on the mediators to monitor Israel's compliance with its commitments.

According to the Palestinian agency Wafa, Six people were killed by Israeli drones in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City..

The recovery and delivery of bodies in Gaza: a huge challenge

The International Committee of the Red Cross has called the recovery and delivery of the bodies "an enormous challenge", explaining that the operation will take days or weeks due to logistical difficulties and widespread destruction.

Since the beginning of the ceasefire, Rescue teams have recovered more than 250 bodies from the rubble, but thousands of people are still missing. The Wafa news agency speaks of at least 10.000 individuals buried under the ruins of the buildings.

The United Nations and the Red Cross have called for all crossings to be opened to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. In Geneva, Red Cross spokesman Christian Cardon reiterated the need “to ensure that every access point is operational”, while the UN has asked to “ensure the continuity of relief flows”.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has also denounced that in addition to 80% of the buildings in the Strip are destroyed or severely damaged, percentage that a Gaza City rises to 92%The agency talks about “unprecedented devastation” and estimates at least 55 million tons of rubble will need to be removed.

Clearing operations, which have already begun in some areas, are proceeding slowly due to the presence of unexploded ordnance and difficulties in obtaining adequate resources. Bodies are still being found during operations, a sign that the extent of the tragedy has not yet been fully ascertained.