UN humanitarian chief urges Israel to open more crossings into Gaza

The UN humanitarian chief has strongly urged Israel to open additional crossings into Gaza to facilitate a massive influx of necessary aid, following Israel's threat to limit supplies over Hamas's failure to return the bodies of all deceased hostages by the agreed deadline. UN official Tom Fletcher emphasized the necessity of implementing the US-brokered ceasefire deal, warning against squandering the progress made while calling on Hamas to make strenuous efforts to return the remains. Meanwhile, the key Rafah crossing remains closed, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, leading Gazans to stockpile food as prices rise due to deep-seated fears that the fragile calm will not last. Reports of violence against civilians in Gaza, including alleged executions by Hamas gunmen, have further fueled fear and outrage among residents. US Central Command also called on Hamas to adhere to a peace plan and cease violence against civilians, while Israeli officials confirmed no agreement was reached for aid to pass through Rafah. Displaced Gazans express profound distrust in the ceasefire, leading to panic buying and further economic instability within the enclave.