Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Sunday and warned of « additional consequences » if Hamas It does not accept a new proposal to expand a fragile cessation.
Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the existing cessation agreement, saying that his decision to cut the aid was « cheap extortion, war crime and a blatant attack » in the truce, which was referred to in January after more than a year of negotiations. The two parts were stopped saying that the cessation of the fire was over.
The first phase of fire cessation, which included an increase in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday. The two parties have not yet negotiated the second phase, in which Hamas had to launch dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for an Israeli launch and a durable cessation.
Egypt, who has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, condemned the closure and accused Israel of using « inanition as a weapon. » Foreign Minister Bad Abdelatty requested the immediate implementation of phase 2 of the existing fire cessation agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, according to existing agreements, Israel could resume the fight after the first phase if he believed that negotiations were ineffective. He said that the cessation of the fire would continue only if Hamas continued to release hostages, telling his cabinet that « there will be no free lunches ». He said that Israel was « coordinated » with the administration of President Donald Trump.
There was no immediate comment from the United States about the proposal announced by Israel or his decision to cut the help.
Hundreds of help trucks have entered Gaza daily since the cessation of cessation began on January 19. But residents said prices doubled on Sunday when the closing word spread and people ran to store.
« Everyone is worried, » said Sayed al-Dairi, a man living in the city of Gaza. « This is not a life. »
Fayza Nassar, a woman who lives in the urban refugee camp in Jabaliya, said that the closure would aggravate the living conditions of life.
« There will be hunger and chaos, » he said. « Close crossings is a daring crime. »
Israel says he has support us
Israel said that the new proposal, which said he came from the envoy of the medium, Steve Witkoff, requested to extend the cessation of fire through Ramadan (the sacred Muslim month that began during the weekend) and the Jewish Easter holidays, which end on April 20.
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By virtue of this proposal, Hamas would release half of the hostages on the first day and the rest when an agreement was reached on a permanent cessation, said Netanyahu.
Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the cessation of fire would have « humanitarian consequences » for hostages, and reiterated that the only way to release them was through the implementation of the existing agreement, which did not specify a calendar to release the remaining captives.
Hamas said he was willing to release hostages at the same time in phase 2, but only in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire permanent fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
An Egyptian official said that Hamas and Egypt would not accept a new proposal aimed at returning the remaining hostages without ending the conflict. The officer said that the agreement had asked both sides to start negotiations on Phase 2 in early February.
The official, who was not authorized to inform the media and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the mediators were trying to resolve the dispute.
Ceasefire has been marked by disputes
Under the first phase of six weeks of cessation of fire, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the release of about 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces retired from most of Gaza and Israel enabled an increase in humanitarian aid.
But the first phase was marked by repeated disputes, with each side accusing the other of rape.
Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who said that the military had approached their forces or entered areas in violation of the truce. Israel carried out an aerial attack on the Palestinians who said they were planted an explosive device in the north of Gaza near the Sunday border. The Gaza Ministry of Health, directed by Hamas, said that two men died on the strike and that the Israeli fire killed two other people elsewhere.
Hamas paraded the captives, some of which were emacted, in front of the crowds in public shows that Israel and the United Nations said they were cruel and degrading. He initially returned the wrong set of remains instead of the mother who was killed in captivity along with her two young children.
Hamas said that Israel’s suspension of help was another rape, saying that the cessation of fire and the aid deliveries should be continued during negotiations on Phase 2.
Israel was accused of blocking help throughout the conflict
Israel imposed a complete siege on Gaza on the opening days of the conflict and only relieved it after the pressure of the United States.
The United Nations agencies and help groups accused Israel of facilitating sufficient help during the 15 months of conflict, and the Biden administration repeatedly pressured to do more. Experts repeatedly warned that hunger was widespread in Gaza and that there was a risk of hunger.
The International Criminal Court said that there was reasons to believe that Israel had used « famine as a method of war » when he issued a detention order for Netanyahu last year. The allegation is also essential in the case of South -Africa in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of Genocide.
Israel has denied the allegations and rejected the two court actions as biased against him. Israel says that it has allowed enough help to enter and blamed the scarcity of what he said was the inability of the United Nations to distribute it. He also accused Hamas of Sifonar his help.
Kenneth Roth, the former Human Rights Watch Chief, who is now a visiting professor at Princeton University, said that Israel as an occupying power has an « absolute duty » to facilitate humanitarian aid under Geneva conventions.
« Israel’s last threat to cut off all help is a resumption of war crime hunger strategy, » which led to the ICC’s mandate, he said.
The conflict began when the militants led by Hamas stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians and took 251 hostages. Currently, the militants have 59 hostages, 35 of which are believed to be dead, after having released most of the rest in two cessation agreements.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-Run Ministry of Health in Gaza. He says that more than half of the dead were women and children, but he does not specify how many of the dead were fighters.
The Israeli bombing and land operations struck large areas of the strip in the rubble and the height of the conflict displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million Palestinians. The conflict has left most of the Gaza population depending on the international aid for food and other basic elements.
–Nagdy reported on Cairo. Ellen Knickmeyer, the associated writer Press, contributed to this report.
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