Gaza’s ceasefire, which had brought a brief easing, has faced new pressure as Israel’s crossings shutdown during Ramadan has curtailed movement into and out of the territory. Palestinians described days marked by disrupted shopping and rising prices, alongside uncertainty about whether humanitarian work can continue at anything like previous levels. The closures come as the war across the region broadens after U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran, with residents saying they fear attention will shift away from Gaza.
The Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, COGAT, said it had closed crossings into the territory and frozen the entrance and exit of humanitarian workers because, it said, the crossings could not be safely operated under fire. COGAT said crossings would reopen as soon as the security situation allows.
Palestinians said the renewed closures have forced families to rush to markets in search of essentials, recalling shortages and rationing they experienced during the blockade that began last year. “When the crossings shut down, everything was suspended from the market,” said Osamda Hanoda, from Khan Younis. Residents also said they were afraid supplies such as milk and diapers would not be available, including Hassan Zanoun, who said he was displaced from Rafah. He said, “We are afraid of not finding milk” and diapers for the kids, or food and water.
As Israel and Iran-focused strikes continue to reverberate across the region, the Gaza Strip’s day-to-day routines have also been shaken. The war that began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 has been marked by restrictions on movement and supplies into Gaza, as well as anxiety about people—including medical evacuees—being unable to reach treatment. In recent weeks, Gaza’s main Rafah border crossing reopened for a small, tightly controlled flow of Palestinian traffic in both directions, but no cargo was allowed through, before the crossings closed again.
With the closures now in place during Ramadan, Palestinians described a month defined by deprivation and disrupted by violence and uncertainty. “All the people rushed to markets, and they all wanted to shop and hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City, as word of explosions in Tehran spread. Another resident described a limited change inside Gaza, saying the “good thing is that the sound of booms and demolitions is rare now near the yellow line,” the line dividing Gaza and marking roughly half the territory controlled by Israeli forces. He added that “Even the drones, they are still flying overhead, but their number has gone down,” reflecting how fear and daily calculations continue even when fighting appears to ebb in some areas.
The United Nations World Food Program said the ceasefire and aid access had led to some improvement, but hunger remained widespread. The World Food Program noted progress in the enclave while warning in its latest food security analysis last week that hunger remained; it said households reported an average of two meals per day in February 2026, compared with one meal in July, while also saying “one in five households consumed only one meal daily.” In parallel, World Central Kitchen warned that it would run out of supplies this week if Israel kept the strip’s crossings closed.
In a social media post, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said, “We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war,” and said the group provides 1 million meals a day in Gaza. Andres also said, “We cannot wait … let the humanitarian trucks go through today!” Aid organizations and others said that day-by-day deliveries are a practical requirement in a system where shelves and stocks can be exhausted quickly when access is interrupted.
Beyond food access, Palestinians and aid workers said the wider regional conflict creates new challenges for keeping the Gaza ceasefire on track. The ceasefire that followed the Oct. 10 U.S.-brokered agreement has seen the heaviest fighting subside, but regular Israeli fire continues in Gaza. Israeli authorities, residents said, have also focused on the Iran war, while citizens repeatedly dashed for shelter as sirens wailed.
With attention turning again toward a Middle East-wide escalation, humanitarian groups face difficulty sustaining logistics and staffing needed for Gaza’s population of over 2 million. Even as some Palestinians said Israel’s military distraction could bring a temporary benefit inside parts of Gaza, major challenges for the ceasefire remained, including disarming Hamas and deploying an international stabilization force, as well as bringing in a newly appointed Palestinian committee meant to govern Gaza.