By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, (The Muslim News): Pressure is mounting on Israel over its 11-day failure to reopen the Rafah crossing, agreed under a recent truce, as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis spirals further out of control.
Despite the deal, aid convoys remain stranded at the border while food, fuel and medicine run dangerously low. Humanitarian groups have condemned the delay as “unconscionable”, warning that every day of inaction costs more lives.
The closure comes amid shocking new data showing more than 20,000 Palestinian students killed and over 90% of Gaza’s farmland destroyed, underscoring the war’s systematic devastation of civilian life.
US Vice President JD Vance, visiting Israel, refused to set a deadline for Hamas to disarm, calling the situation “unpredictable” and warning that “very bad things” could happen if the group fails to comply with the ceasefire.
Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 68,229 people and injured 170,369, according to the latest figures from Health Ministry.
A GENERATION ERASED
The Palestinian Education Ministry reported that 19,910 students in Gaza and 148 in the West Bank have been killed, with another 31,000 injured.
The death toll among educators is also severe: 1,037 teachers and administrative staff killed, 4,740 injured and 228 detained.
At least 179 schools and 63 university buildings have been levelled in Gaza, while hundreds more are partially destroyed. Thirty schools have been erased entirely from official records. In the West Bank, two schools have been demolished and eight university buildings damaged.
FARMLAND DECIMATED
Palestinian Agriculture Minister Rezq Salimia accused Israel of deliberately crippling Gaza’s agricultural lifeline, saying over 90% of its agricultural assets have been wiped out. He added that Israel’s control of more than 60% of the West Bank continues to block Palestinian development.
The crisis has deepened amid a surge in settler violence. Muayyar Shaaban, an official monitoring rural area, said illegal Jewish settlers had carried out 158 attacks since October, including beatings, access restrictions and the uprooting of 795 olive trees.
Shaaban described this harvest season as “one of the most difficult and dangerous in decades,” accusing Israel of executing “a clear and declared plan to control Palestinian geography.”
MOUNTING DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE
As Gaza teeters on the edge, diplomatic efforts continue. The Israeli army confirmed that two more hostages’ bodies were transferred by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump renewed threats against Hamas, claiming unnamed Middle Eastern “allies” had agreed to use “heavy force” if the group violated the ceasefire.
Elsewhere, Arab lawyers in Morocco announced the creation of a legal coalition to pursue accountability for Israeli war crimes across the occupied territories.
In Hebron, the Israeli army shut down the Islamic Charitable Society orphanage, confiscating its equipment and sealing the building without explanation. Founded in 1961, the organisation cares for orphans and operates several schools.
Meanwhile, the UN Mine Action Service warned of the growing threat from unexploded ordnance in Gaza, reporting 560 explosive remnants identified so far, which have caused 328 confirmed casualties, a figure believed to be a severe undercount.
[Featured image: An infographic titled “Israel violates ceasefire in Gaza” created in Ankara, Turkiye on October 21, 2025. Despite the ceasefire reached in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army continues its attacks against Palestinians under various pretexts. Photojournalist: Omar Zaghloul/AA]
