Israel’s relentless siege stifles Gaza’s recovery despite ceasefire

Ahmed Al-Majayda, a 30-year-old father from Khan Younis, Gaza, is rebuilding his home with clay. The cement he had once hoped to use is now a luxury, priced at an astronomical $250 for a 50-kilogram bag, compared to just $7 before Israel’s devastating assault.

After 14 months of displacement, Al-Majayda is piecing together a small room for his wife and three children in the Al-Mawasi neighbourhood, using scraps salvaged from the rubble of his destroyed home.

“Not only did I have to remove the rubble by hand, but I also waited for building materials to enter Gaza. But they never came,” Al-Majayda said, his face marked with exhaustion.

Across Gaza, the blockade’s cruelty is felt in every corner. Families like Al-Majayda’s struggle with the scarcity of basic construction materials, while hospitals operate on the brink of collapse. Fuel shortages cripple transportation, and the health sector is left gasping for life.

“This is not the life I imagined when I heard about the ceasefire,” Al-Majayda said. “The occupation has kept us waiting. All of our lives depend on what they allow us to receive.”

Hospitals hit the hardest

The fragile ceasefire, while bringing temporary relief, has failed to lead to meaningful improvements in Gaza. As more than half a million displaced people began returning to northern Gaza last month, they were met with shock at the extent of the destruction.

Despite promises of aid and rebuilding materials, Israel has systematically restricted the entry of vital supplies since the deal took effect on January 19.

Hospitals and clinics are suffering under the weight of insufficient resources. "The health sector is in a catastrophic state and has not seen any change since the ceasefire came into effect, as the necessary needs to restore life to this sector were not available," Dr Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza, told TRT World.

Israel allowed 74 trucks into Gaza – a cruel faction of what is needed. “It’s a joke. The essential medical supplies that have trickled in amounted to less than 0.03 percent of the sector’s needs,” he stated.

With hospitals operating on skeleton crews and medical supplies scarce, doctors face overwhelming pressure. “We have only been able to reopen one clinic in Rafah and part of the Indonesian Hospital in the north. But the bulk of our hospitals remain closed, and our needs continue to be ignored,” Dr Al-Hams said.

The result is a dire situation for the sector. Patients continue to flood in with urgent needs, from surgery to chronic care—many of their afflictions and illnesses directly tied to Israel’s bombardment of the strip. Al-Hams noted an increase in cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic stress among those seeking treatment.

Last week, Gaza's government media office condemned Israel for breaching its ceasefire obligations, which should allow 600 aid trucks daily, including 50 fuel trucks, along with essential shelter and medical supplies.

But Israel has repeatedly defied these terms, allowing trivial items like chips and noodles while blocking life-saving equipment.

According to Al-Hams, “the shortage in Gaza’s health sector remains as much as 80 percent of its needs.” He also criticised Israel for failing to uphold its commitment to medical evacuations. “The agreement called for 150 patients to leave Gaza daily, but fewer than 50 have been allowed to travel each day.”

With Israel reducing the number of aid trucks, hindering reconstruction efforts, and restricting patient travel, the temporary halt in fighting has done little to alleviate the ongoing suffering. For Al-Hams, the immediate focus is securing generators and fuel to ensure hospitals can continue to operate.

Israel’s political game

Israel’s manipulation of humanitarian aid serves as a ruthless political tool. Talal Abu Rakba, a political analyst, describes Israel’s obstruction of aid as part of a strategy to achieve what it terms “absolute victory” —not through military might alone, but by crushing Palestinian resilience.

"This is not just a delay, but a form of negotiating pressure," he explains, comparing the agreed-upon terms with the reality of aid entering Gaza.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, only 8,500 truckloads of supplies have been allowed into Gaza—well below the 12,000 that were promised since the ceasefire began.

Abu Rakba suggests that Israel aims to extend the first phase of the ceasefire while avoiding deeper political and military concessions.

"Israel’s approach is to use these tools to force Hamas into submission," he says, noting that while Hamas remains militarily weakened, it still holds significant influence due to its ideological roots.

The analyst believes Israel will likely continue restricting aid and hindering reconstruction efforts as a way to exert further pressure on Hamas. "This is part of Israel’s broader strategy to create conditions that push Palestinians into voluntary displacement, despite Egypt's opposition to forced relocation," he said.

As Palestinians struggle to rebuild their lives amid ruins, the aid that trickles through Israeli checkpoints is designed for survival, not recovery. "Israel has made its agenda clear: they are forcing Hamas and the people of Gaza into a corner," Abu Rakba concluded.

The ceasefire is little more than a pause in active bombardment. The siege continues—silent, calculated, and devastating.

This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.