Israel has informed the United Nations that it will sharply reduce the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip starting Wednesday, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by delaying the return of hostages' bodies.

UN officials said Israeli authorities notified them that the number of aid trucks from the UN and other nongovernmental groups allowed to enter Gaza will be cut in half -- from 600 to 300 a day.

Israel also said it will bar the entry of fuel and gas except in cases of humanitarian need.

Under the ceasefire terms, Hamas was required to release all 48 hostages held in the enclave by Monday noon. All 20 surviving captives have been freed, but only eight bodies of deceased hostages have been returned so far.

A spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said on Tuesday the organization hopes the remaining bodies will be recovered soon and that the truce will continue to hold.

Observers say efforts to retrieve the bodies from beneath extensive debris in Gaza could take days or even weeks.

The Israeli restrictions are likely to slow the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid across the territory.

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