Aid organisations and rights advocates have warned that Israel 's decision to shut all land crossings into Gaza could have catastrophic consequences for Palestinians in the territory, with experts telling The New Arab that the move risks accelerating hunger and depriving civilians of essential supplies.
The restrictions were announced after Iranian missile attacks on Sunday, with Israeli authorities suspending access through Gaza's main entry points for humanitarian goods, including Karam Abu Salem crossing, known in Israel as Kerem Shalom. Israeli media also reported that the Rafah crossing would be closed.
Zainah el-Haroun, a representative of the Palestinian rights organisation Al-Haq, told The New Arab that the latest measures threaten to intensify an already desperate situation and come after earlier aid restrictions contributed to famine conditions in parts of the enclave.
"By blocking the entry of food, water, fuel, medicine and shelter materials, Israel is continuing to deliberately inflict conditions of life calculated to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza," she said.
El-Haroun argued that restricting assistance in response to events involving Iran was "consistent with Israel's genocidal policies towards the Palestinian people".
She also rejected suggestions that conditions had improved since the ceasefire agreed in October, saying Israeli authorities had continued to obstruct the delivery of basic necessities despite commitments made under the truce.
"Even since the so-called 'ceasefire', Israel has severely restricted aid and delayed the entry of essentials needed for survival, deepening the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that they have manufactured," she added.
The warnings came after the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced a series of security measures following the missile attacks.
While COGAT insisted the decision would not affect humanitarian operations, aid workers and rights groups disputed that claim, arguing that air drops and maritime deliveries cannot replace the volume of assistance normally transported by land.
Fikr Shaltoot, Gaza director at Medical Aid for Palestinians, told The New Arab that sealing off every crossing amounted to collective punishment and the use of starvation against a civilian population.
"We should be clear: the closure of every land crossing into Gaza is a form of collective punishment against Palestinians and egregious use of starvation as a weapon of war. It is illegal under international law, and it could cost countless more lives," she said.
"The international community cannot stay silent. It must guarantee full humanitarian access, suspend all arms sales, and support accountability mechanisms, including the ICC, to end Israel's impunity once and for all. The crossings must reopen, now," she added.
Shaltoot said healthcare facilities, many of which are already struggling with shortages of medicines, fuel and electricity, are likely to be among the hardest hit. He also warned that large numbers of people remain perilously close to starvation.
The closures have been imposed indefinitely, raising fresh concerns about access to food, medical treatment and other necessities for Gaza's population of more than two million.
Riham Jafari, advocacy and communications coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, told The New Arab that the decision reflected a wider reality in which Palestinians' access to the basics of life remains subject to Israeli control.
"The state of Israel continues to collectively punish Palestinians in Gaza, weaponising humanitarian aid by limiting aid. While the world is busy following the latest developments and escalations in the region, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is getting worse by the day," she said.
"The core issue is not whether aid trucks move today or tomorrow, it is that an entire people live under a system where their access to food, safety, and freedom can be switched on or off like a tap by the State of Israel."
Jafari also urged governments and international institutions to focus attention on continuing Israeli breaches of the ceasefire agreement and to push for the full implementation of its provisions.