Israel cuts off aid from Gaza, puts pressure on Hamas to accept new deals and extends a fragile ceasefire

Israel warned of “further consequences” as it stopped all goods and supplies on Sunday, aiming to put pressure on Hamas to accept a new proposal to expand A fragile ceasefire.

“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without our hostages being released,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. “If Hamas continues to refuse, there will be further consequences.”

Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the existing ceasefire agreement and said the decision to cut off aid was “cheap blackmail, war crimes and blatant attacks.” Neither side said the ceasefire was over.

Egypt, who served as a key mediator for militant groups, condemned Israel’s decision to stop aid and accused it of using “hunger as a weapon.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the immediate implementation of the next phase of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire.

Hundreds of aid trucks have entered Gaza every day since The ceasefire begins on January 19it is not clear what the direct impact of the aid cutoff is.

The first phase of the ceasefire includes an expiration on Saturday, which includes a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza people. The two sides have not negotiated the second phase, during which Hamas will release dozens of The remaining Israeli hostages As Israel’s retreat and a lasting ceasefire.

Netanyahu said that under the existing agreement, Israel could resume combat after the first phase if negotiations were invalid. He said the ceasefire would only continue if Hamas kept releasing hostages, telling his cabinet that “there won’t be a free lunch.” He said Israel is “fully coordinated” with President Trump’s administration.

The United States did not immediately comment on the proposal announced by Israel or its proposal to cut off aid.

Meanwhile, Israeli fighter jets stepped up their activities in Gaza, carrying out air strikes in the areas of Khan Yunis and Bet Hannoon, resulting in casualties. The report shows that the attacks killed at least two people and injured others, including women and children.

The border crossings entering Gaza remained closed, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel said a new proposal, it said Steve Witkoff, U.S. Middle East Envoycalling for a ceasefire to be extended through Ramadan (the holy month of Muslim, both the weekend begins), and the Jewish Passover holiday ending on April 20.

Under the proposal, Hamas will release half of the hostages on the first day, while the rest will be reached when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel is ready to negotiate in the next phase but insists on releasing more hostages in the negotiations. He said Israel received a deputy letter from the Biden administration saying there was no automatic transition between the truce phases.

“We fulfilled all our commitments (in Phase 1) until the last day of yesterday,” he said in a press conference. “Our position is that in negotiations, the hostages should be released.”

Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the ceasefire agreement would have “humanitarian consequences” for the hostages, reiterating that the only way to release them is to implement an existing deal that does not specify a timetable for the release of the remaining captives.

Hamas said it was willing to release hostages immediately in the second phase, but simply to release more Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire and the evacuation of Israeli forces.

An Egyptian official said Hamas and Egypt would not accept new proposals aimed at returning to the rest of the hostages without ending the war. The official noted that the agreement had called on both sides to start negotiations on the second phase in early February.

The official had no right to introduce to the media and did not want to be named, saying the mediator was trying to resolve the dispute.

During the first, six-week phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and eight bodies in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces retreated from most of Gaza and most of Israel, causing humanitarian aid to influx.

Israel exerted a complete siege of Gaza on the opening day of the war, and later relaxed the attack under pressure from the United States.

The war began when Hamas-led terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and hijacking 251 hostages. The militants currently hold 59 hostages, 32 of whom are believed to be dead, and the majority of the rest are in two ceasefire agreements.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the Israeli attack killed more than 48,000 Palestinians. It said more than half of the people were women and children, but no number of dead were specified as combatants.

Israeli bombing and ground operations have caused large tracts to blow up rubble, and at the height of the conflict, about 90% of the Palestinian population is displaced. The war has left Gaza’s population dependent on assistance from international food and other essentials.