Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to allow the entry of mobile homes and heavy machinery into the Gaza Strip, despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, citing an unnamed government source, Netanyahu rejected requests to send equipment needed for clearing the rubble of destroyed buildings in the war-ravaged enclave.
The decision comes as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced following Israel’s military offensive, which has killed more than 48,200 people, the majority of them women and children, and left Gaza in total ruins.
Palestinian group Hamas released three Israeli captives on Saturday after receiving assurances from mediators that obstacles to the entry of mobile homes and relief materials for displaced civilians would be removed.
However, local Palestinian authorities have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement by blocking essential humanitarian aid, including temporary shelters such as tents and caravans.
Under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which began on January 19, 2025, Hamas has released 19 Israeli captives and five Thai workers in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian detainees. Many of the released detainees have reportedly shown physical signs of torture while in Israeli prison.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza.
Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
