Tel Aviv, Mar. 2, (dpa/GNA) – Israel has halted all humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza after the first phase of a ceasefire deal with Hamas expired, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defending the move as necessary leverage to secure the release of remaining captives.
“The entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip will be halted,” Netanyahu’s office said Sunday, blaming Hamas for rejecting a framework for continued negotiations proposed by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without a release of our hostages. If Hamas persists in its refusal, there will be additional consequences.”
Witkoff’s plan apparently would extend phase one of the ceasefire, which ended on Saturday, and continue the release of hostages. That would mean the postponement of phase two, which had not only envisaged the release of all remaining hostages, but also Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a complete end to the war.
At a Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu reiterated that aid would not resume unless Hamas complied with the new plan put forward.
“There will be no free lunches,” he said. “If Hamas thinks it can continue the ceasefire or benefit from the first stage without us receiving hostages, it is sorely mistaken.”
Hamas has not accepted this framework, prompting Israel’s decision to cut off aid.
The Palestinian group called Netanyahu’s move “unscrupulous blackmail, a war crime and a serious breach of the agreement” by Israel and Hamas announced on January 15.
Hamas urged mediators to pressure Israel into reversing its decision.
Since the ceasefire began on January 19, aid deliveries had increased into the war-ravaged enclave, where nearly 2 million people face dire humanitarian conditions. A complete halt to supplies could have devastating consequences.
International criticism
Egypt strongly condemned Israel’s decision, warning that starvation should not be used as a weapon.
“The deal includes a full flow of aid, and it cannot be allowed or accepted that aid is used for collective punishment,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty said Sunday. “This is a blatant and clear violation of international humanitarian law.”
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been mediating between Israel and Hamas in an effort to prolong the ceasefire and secure further hostage releases. Abdel-Atty stressed that negotiations for the next phase must begin immediately.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Israel to immediately resume humanitarian aid deliveries and for Israel and Hamas to make every effort to avoid renewed open hostilities.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also warned of the consequences of an aid blockade and the breakdown of the ceasefire.
“Every effort must be made to maintain the ceasefire so that lives are spared, humanitarian aid enters Gaza, and more families are reunited,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said. She cautioned that any setback in negotiations “risks plunging people back into despair.”
Hostage talks at an impasse
The Israeli government said it had endorsed Witkoff’s proposal to extend the initial ceasefire for the duration of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends on March 29, and the Jewish Passover festival, which ends on April 19.
Half of the hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip – both living and dead – would be released on the first day of the extended ceasefire, with the remaining hostages being freed at the end of the period if a permanent ceasefire is achieved.
The breakdown in talks comes amid ongoing violence. The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza reported four deaths on Sunday in Israeli attacks, despite the ceasefire. The Israeli military said its air force struck suspects planting explosives near its troops in northern Gaza.
Since the ceasefire took effect, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities. The overall death toll in the conflict stands at approximately 48,000 in Gaza since October 7, 2023, while Hamas’ attack on Israel that triggered the war killed around 1,200 people, with 250 taken hostage.
GNA