No Hostages, No Aid
ULTIMATUM: No Aid Will Enter Gaza Until Israel Gets Every Last Hostage Body Back
Activist group Tzav 9 announces plans to block humanitarian aid entering Gaza until Hamas returns bodies of all Israeli hostages, escalating tensions at border crossings.
The activist group Tzav 9 has announced it will immediately resume its campaign to block humanitarian aid trucks from entering the Gaza Strip. The hardline movement cites alleged "Hamas violations" of the existing ceasefire and hostage release framework, specifically pointing to the failure to return the bodies of all deceased Israeli captives.
In a dramatic re-emergence after a period of relative inactivity, Tzav 9 released a statement explicitly tying the flow of essential goods into the besieged territory to the full repatriation of remains.
"As long as there is no agreement, continuing to transfer aid to the terror group is forbidden," the group declared. "The aid allows it to rehabilitate without any compensation and without the return of the dead. No aid will be transferred until the last of the dead is returned."
Renewed Conflict Over Repatriation
The controversy centers on the bodies of the last missing Israeli hostages. Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately violating the deal by delaying the transfer of the remains. Conversely, the terror group maintains it has already returned all bodies accessible to it and insists that efforts are ongoing to locate the rest.
Tzav 9, Hebrew for "Order 9," was founded in the months following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Its activists quickly became known for their confrontational direct action, frequently blocking routes leading to the Gaza border crossings and, in some high-profile instances, ransacking and vandalizing aid packages aboard trucks.
Friday's announcement signals a likely return to border protests and disruptions by Tzav 9, creating a new challenge for Israeli security forces tasked with ensuring the safe delivery of international aid.