Gaza City, Gaza Strip – As soon as the first US-Israeli strikes hit Iran on February 28, concerns began to arise in the Gaza Strip about how the latest conflict could affect a population already suffering from a genocidal war that has lasted more than two years.
With tensions spreading throughout the region, the situation in Gaza has become increasingly complex. Israel has tightened its control over crossings into the territory, further restricting the entry of vital humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, violations of a “ceasefire” agreement reached with the Palestinian group Hamas in October continue unabated.
But as world attention focuses on the unfolding regional war, many fear that Gaza will be relegated to the sidelines, even as more than two million Palestinians in the besieged territory remain trapped in an extremely fragile humanitarian and political situation.
“The war with Iran has given Israel wider space to escalate its crimes in Gaza, while the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated due to severe restrictions on crossings,” Ramy Abdu, head of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, told Al Jazeera.
Israel closed crossings into the Strip on the first day of the war with Iran, disrupting the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid and essential supplies.
The move also halted travel for patients and wounded, sparking widespread concern as thousands of patients had been waiting to travel abroad for treatment after Israel’s war decimated Gaza’s health system.
After several days of closure, Israel partially reopened the Kerem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, allowing entry to a limited number of trucks carrying aid and essential goods. However, the limited reopening has had little impact, as the volume of aid entering Gaza remains far below the 600 trucks per day needed to meet the population’s needs.
Significant restrictions also remain in place on the entry of fuel and heavy machinery needed to remove debris and restore vital infrastructure, making recovery efforts in the bombed territory slow and complex.
Economic affairs specialist Mohammad Abu Jiyab said the US-Israel war against Iran has had a direct impact on the economic and humanitarian conditions in Gaza. He cited the decline in crossing operations and reduced imports of aid and commercial goods as a result of Israeli security decisions linked to the regional conflict.
“This has led to a sharp rise in prices and a shortage of goods in the markets, along with a decline in the ability of international organizations to adequately distribute humanitarian aid to the population,” he added.
Abu Jiyab warned that the continuation of this situation would deepen the economic and life crisis in the territory as supplies dwindle and residents struggle to meet their daily needs.
A spokesman for the United Nations Children’s Fund said prices for some basic goods, including food and cleaning products, have risen dramatically, in some cases by 200 to 300 percent.
Ceasefire violations
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continue against various parts of Gaza, in violation of the October “ceasefire.”
Medical sources said six Palestinians, including two children, were killed and about 10 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza City and the Nuseirat refugee camp late Sunday and early Monday.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli attacks since the start of the “ceasefire” have killed at least 648 people and injured nearly 18,000.
Analysts say the shift in international attention has given Israel more room to carry out limited military operations in Gaza without provoking major reactions.
Euro-Med Monitor’s Abdu warned that Israel continues to carry out what he described as “systematic acts of genocide” in Gaza, taking every opportunity to deepen conditions that make life increasingly impossible for an exhausted population facing extremely harsh living conditions.
He also warned of growing fears of new famine and malnutrition, particularly among children. Abdu highlighted the rapid deterioration of health services amid shortages of medicines and medical equipment.
“Hospitals are closing or operating at minimum capacity due to shortages of fuel and medical supplies. Patients are increasingly unable to travel for treatment and many are deprived of essential medicines,” he said.
Delay the next phase of the ‘ceasefire’
On the other hand, Abdu highlighted the political vacuum in Gaza and pointed out that Israel continues to obstruct the work of a committee in charge of administering the territory and prevents its members from entering it.
The Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza was formed in January as a transitional civilian body made up of 15 technocrats as part of agreements linked to the next phase of the “ceasefire” agreement.
Its mandate includes managing civil affairs and essential services in Gaza, coordinating the entry of humanitarian aid, restarting government institutions, and overseeing recovery and reconstruction efforts.
The Rafah land crossing is a central issue linked to the committee’s work, but it has remained closed for the tenth consecutive day, further complicating the committee’s ability to carry out its tasks.
“It is clear that Israel is exploiting global attention on the war with Iran to expand its repressive policies in Gaza at a time when international pressure and accountability are declining,” Abdu added, underscoring that many of these measures are being implemented even without active combat, while civilians are being killed, homes destroyed and crossings restricted in ways that appear aimed at collective punishment and starvation.
The “ceasefire” agreement outlines a three-phase plan aimed at gradually stopping military operations, releasing prisoners and creating conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the beginning of the reconstruction of the territory.
In the first phase, the agreement provided for the cessation of military operations, a partial withdrawal of Israel from populated areas and the daily entry of hundreds of trucks of aid and fuel along with prisoner exchanges.
However, implementation remained partial and limited from October until early 2026, as Israeli forces continued to maintain control over large parts of the territory and key crossings.
The second phase, scheduled to begin in January 2026, was supposed to include a broader Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the start of reconstruction and the establishment of a transitional civilian administration.
However, the phase quickly stalled due to political and security disagreements, when Israel introduced additional conditions related to the future governance of Gaza and the disarmament of armed factions.
Abu Jiyab, the economist, believes that Israel is using the regional war to maintain instability in Gaza and keep the situation unchanged without any political progress.
“The clearest indication of this is the political negligence on the part of the United States, the so-called Peace Council and the mediating states regarding the rapid transfer of government and allowing the administrative committee to manage the Gaza Strip,” he added.
This stalemate has directly affected the reconstruction process, which remains largely frozen as the entry of construction materials, fuel and heavy equipment depends on Israeli approvals and complex crossing procedures.
As regional tensions have escalated following the outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran, observers say international momentum to push for the second phase of the deal has weakened significantly.
Political analyst Ahed Farwana believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of the shift in global attention to “prolong the first phase of the agreement without moving to the second phase.”
He said: “The Israeli military continues to carry out attacks and assassinations, while restricting certain products and allowing others under a rationing policy, including fuel and cooking gas.”
Since Israeli forces control about 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, Farwana believes Israel intends to keep the territory in a permanent state of instability.
“Israel does not want stability in Gaza. Instead, it seeks to keep the front under its control through military restrictions, economic pressures and various forms of punishment.”
