Tom Fletcher, the head of United Nations humanitarian affairs, made an urgent request directly to Israel on October 15, 2025. All passages to Gaza must be opened immediately so that aid supplies can enter smoothly. This is not a casual remark, but a key content based on the ceasefire agreement promoted by the United States. Fletcher was interviewed in Cairo at that time, stressing that the operation must be started immediately, because the situation in Gaza is too bad to be delayed any longer. He also plans to visit Rafah Border Crossing on the ground the next day, October 16th. Rafah Border Crossing is the only passage between Gaza and Egypt that does not pass through Israel. Originally, there were reports that it would be reopened that morning, but there was still no movement in the afternoon, and Israel did not give a clear answer.
Gaza is a place that has been mired in a two-year war since Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023. Israel's military operations have led to the almost complete destruction of Gaza's infrastructure and a sharp deterioration in the living conditions of more than 2 million residents. By the end of August 2025, the United Nations officially declared famine in parts of Gaza, and aid supplies were completely interrupted. After the ceasefire agreement came into effect at noon on October 10, 2025, the Israeli army withdrew to designated positions, and Hamas also began to release detained personnel, but the opening of aid channels became a big problem. A spokesman for UNICEF said on October 10th that all passages must be opened as soon as possible, because after a large number of residents returned home, the demand for food and medical care soared. On October 11th, more than 500,000 Gazans had gone north from temporary shelters, but they were faced with ruins, and most hospitals and schools were unusable.
Israel currently only allows partial aid to enter through its own controlled ports, such as Kerem Shalom and the Ports of Erez, but aid organizations have complained that the procedures are too rough, security checks are too strict, and trucks are often stuck at the border for several days. Fletcher pointed out in a statement that all channels should be completely open and there should be no obstacles. Trump and other leaders attending the Sham Sheikh summit have made clear support for mass aid shipping. But the reality is that the agreement requires 600 trucks a day to enter Gaza, in fact only dozens, and there is a serious shortage of fuel and medicines. United Nations data showed that pre-fire cease aid has dropped to a minimum, and after the ceasefire despite the approval of 190,000 tons of goods, but
On the morning of October 15, Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Rafah crossing would be reopened. Everyone thought that there was finally progress, but the door was still closed in the afternoon. The Israeli spokesperson did not respond to media inquiries, which made the international community even more anxious. Fletcher plans to visit on the 16th in order to promote the actual opening. In the interview, he listed specific problems: hospitals could not perform operations because of a lack of anesthetics; there were increasing cases of malnutrition among children; and temporary tent materials were not enough. Aid agencies like the World Food Program shipped the first trucks to the Egyptian side of Rafah on the 15th, but because Israel did not drive them, they could not get through. These supplies, including fuel and relief supplies, can immediately alleviate some of the crisis, but require more access to be effective.
Israel's response was not positive. On October 14, they announced that the Rafah crossing would not be opened and reduced the number of aid trucks to 300, only half of the agreement. The reason was that Hamas did not return all the bodies of the victims on time. In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 20 surviving Israeli hostages and Israel released nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners. However, the exchange of remains stalled. By the evening of the 15th, Hamas had only handed over 10 Israeli remains, one of which had not been detained. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there will be no compromise and Hamas must implement everything. The Israeli Defense Minister's Office stated that if Hamas did not implement it, they would coordinate the resumption of military operations. Hamas explained that the remaining bodies were difficult to find because special equipment and time were needed to be buried in the rubble of air strikes or in Israeli-controlled areas.
Meanwhile, Israel transferred 45 Palestinian bodies to the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, with a total of 90, according to the agreement, with one Israeli body in exchange for 15 Palestinian bodies. The Gaza Civil Defense Department that Israel opened fire on October 15 and killed three Palestinians, two of whom were attacked when they wanted to return to the Gaza City Shujay community. The Israeli military said that those people crossed the ceasefire line, the yellow line, posed a threat and opened fire. This incident exposed the weaknesses of the ceasefire and also affected the safety of the aid fleet. Witchley’s appeal was specifically mentioned, removing the barriers inside the Sahara and allowing the fleet to go to the north. The United Nations that the north was the most
International aid faces huge challenges, and the EU says it is prepared to send aid delegations to oversee the port of Rafah, but the conditions are improved. On October 16, Israel said Rafah reopening day was expected to be limited to passing people, not including goods, which and aid needs are not good. Aid organizations that bureaucratic procedures included multiple approvals, leading to trucks staying. Fletcher emphasized that opening all channels, including the north and south, could allow aid amounts to thousands per week to ease hunger. On October 13, Sham Sheikh summit, Trump and Middle Eastern leaders signed a declaration to support this, but Fletcher said the test was really on the ground. After the summit aid increased slightly, but was far from covering the needs of 2 million residents.