Israel suspends entry of supplies into Gaza as first phase of ceasefire agreement ends

Hamas condemns move as 'cheap blackmail, war crime and blatant coup against agreement'

People gather for iftar on the first day of Ramadan in Jabalia, northern Gaza. AFP

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Israel said on Sunday it was suspending the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza after Hamas refused a US-backed plan for a temporary ceasefire over the period of Ramadan and Passover as the first phase of a truce agreement ended the day before.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced it would adopt the new proposal, put forward by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would cover Ramadan, due to end in late March, and Passover, lasting until mid-April.

“With the conclusion of the first stage of the hostages deal and in light of Hamas's refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for the continuation of the talks, to which Israel agreed, PM Netanyahu decided: as of this morning, entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip be halted,” the Prime Minister's office said.

It added that Israel “will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages”, threatening “consequences”.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for Israel to immediately end its suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"The Secretary General urges all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza. He calls for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages," read a UN statement.

Tom Fletcher, head of the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said the suspension was "alarming".

"International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital life-saving aid," he wrote on X.

The ceasefire proposal calls for the release of half of the hostages held in Gaza, both alive and dead, on the first day of the extension. Hamas called it a “blatant attempt to evade the agreement and avoid entering into negotiations for its second phase”.

“Netanyahu's decision to stop humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the agreement,” the group said.

Mr Netanyahu later released a video message thanking Mr Trump and explaining why Israel would be blocking goods and supplies.

"We've done that because Hamas steals the supplies and prevents the people of Gaza from getting them. It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians – and this we cannot accept," he said.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement in its three phases: “We have repeatedly announced our readiness to start negotiations on the second stage of the agreement."

The Palestinian group called on mediators and the international community to “move to pressure the [Israeli] occupation and stop its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip”.

“If agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire – the remaining living and deceased hostages will be released,” Hamas said.

Palestinians break their fast with iftar meals during Ramadan, near the rubble of buildings in Rafah. Reuters

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Israel "bears responsibility" for the fate of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking at a news conference with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlic Radman, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Palestinians in Gaza would not get goods for free and further negotiations should be linked to the release of the hostages.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also welcomed the decision to suspend aid to Gaza, calling for a renewed fight "until total victory" against Hamas.

"The decision ... to completely stop the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas is destroyed or completely surrenders and all our hostages are freed is an important step in the right direction," he wrote on Telegram, calling to "open [the] gates [of hell] as quickly and violently as possible against the merciless enemy, until total victory".

Egypt, a vital mediator in the Gaza ceasefire talks, has condemned Israel’s decision to impose a complete siege on the Gaza Strip, accusing it of using “starvation as a weapon".

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, said on Sunday that Egypt will "continue intensive efforts to start negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal" adding that he expects the Gaza reconstruction plan to be approved at the Arab League meeting the day after tomorrow.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said every effort must be made to maintain the ceasefire so that lives are spared from hostilities, humanitarian aid gets in and more families are reunited.

"The ceasefire agreement has saved countless lives and offered a beacon of hope amid unimaginable suffering. Any unravelling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair," it said.

Hamas said on Saturday that it rejected Israel's “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, on the day the first stage of the deal was set to expire. Mr Qassem also told Al Araby TV there were no current talks for a second ceasefire phase in Gaza with the group.

Meanwhile, four people were killed and six injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the enclave's Health Ministry said. The ministry added in a statement that at least 116 people have been killed and more than 490 others injured since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19.

The Israeli military said it struck several suspects who were "identified planting an explosive device" in northern Gaza on Sunday.

"Earlier today, several suspects operated near ... troops in northern Gaza and were identified planting an explosive device in the area," it said. The Israeli air force struck them to thwart the threat, the military added.

The ceasefire agreement halted 15 months of fighting beginning on January 19, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais captured in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack for about 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. It was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the ceasefire deal.

Talks on the second phase of the ceasefire have been continuing, most recently in Cairo, but have not led to an agreement. Egyptian sources said on Friday the Israeli delegation sought to extend the first phase by 42 days, while Hamas wanted to move to the second phase of the ceasefire deal.

Mr Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that Israel would immediately conduct negotiations on Mr Witkoff's plan if Hamas agreed to it.

“According to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective,” Mr Netanyahu's office said, accusing Hamas of violating the deal. Both sides have been trading accusations of breaching the first-phase deal.

On Saturday, Hamas's armed wing posted a video showing Israeli hostages still in its custody in Gaza and stressed that the remaining hostages can only be freed through a swap deal as stated under the phased ceasefire agreement that began in January.