Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza after Hamas refused to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal, insisting on advancing to the second phase, reported CNN.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which halted fighting over the past six weeks, expired on Saturday. The two sides were supposed to negotiate the second phase.
However, Israel has pushed for a US-backed extension of the first phase through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends on April 20.
Sticking Point
On January 19, 2025, a three-phase ceasefire deal came into force between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. The first phase lasted for 6 weeks and involved the gradual release of dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. It also included a halt in fighting and a surge in aid delivery to Gaza.
Negotiations on the second phase should have begun on Day 16 of the ceasefire. However, Israel wants to extend the first phase, exchanging hostages, alive and deceased, in return for the continued release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and increasing aid flow into Gaza, as proposed by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Hamas refused the Israeli proposal, insisting on moving forward with the second phase. The Palestinian movement accused Israel of “ongoing manipulation.”
Blocking Gaza Aid
On Sunday, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced blocking aid entry into the Gaza Strip. “With the completion of Phase A of the hostage deal, and in light of Hamas’ refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for continuing the talks — which Israel had agreed to — Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu has decided that as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will be stopped,” it said in a statement.
The statement also warned of additional consequences if Hamas does not accept the new proposal. “Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be additional consequences,” it added.
Hamas Response
The Palestinian movement said that the Israeli decision is a “cheap blackmail” and a “war crime,” calling on mediators to pressure Israel into ending its “punitive and immoral measures.”
In a separate statement, the Director-General of Hamas’ Government Media Office, Ismail Al-Thawabta, said: “Starving civilians, tightening the blockade on Gaza, and using humanitarian aid as a political pressure tool is a flagrant violation of basic human rights.”
Adhering to Ceasefire Deal
Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement. On Sunday, Hamas leader, Mahmoud Mardawi, said in a statement that the only path to regional stability and the return of the prisoners is “the full implementation of the agreement, starting with the second phase.”
He added that the Palestinian movement wants the second phase to include “negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the enclave’s reconstruction, and then the release of prisoners as part of an agreed-upon deal.”
“This is what we insist on, and we will not back down from it,” Mardawi noted.
Since the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai hostages. Moreover, 8 bodies were recovered. In return, Israel released 1,737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 120 women and children.
The war in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, destroyed much of the enclave and brought dire living conditions for almost all of its residents, according to CNN.
