Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Israel is continuing to tighten its blockade on the Gaza Strip by closing crossings and controlling the entry of aid and the number of travellers through the Rafah crossing. In a video statement on Monday, Qassem said the Rafah crossing had been closed while severe restrictions on aid deliveries remain in place. He added that Israel had not met the agreed number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza, with fewer than half entering, alongside continued limits on the number of travellers. Qassem said Israel is pursuing a policy of “engineering starvation” in Gaza, pointing to rising prices of basic goods as hunger deepens, as well as ongoing violations including shelling and killings, such as those […]
This article was sourced from Middle East Monitor.
Read Full Article on Middle East Monitor →![Ambulances belonging to Egypt’s Ministry of Health stand ready on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing for the transfer of Palestinian patients from Gaza and possible emergency needs, in Rafah, Egypt, on February 8, 2026. [Ahmed Sayed - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AA-20260208-40491482-40491478-EGYPTIAN_HEALTH_MINISTRY_AMBULANCES_STATIONED_AT_RAFAH_CROSSING-1-1.jpg)
