Israel cuts aid to Gaza to put pressure on Hamas

Israel halted the import of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, March 2, and warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas does not accept a new proposal to extend the ceasefire.

This was reported by The Hill ,, and UNN.  

Hamas accused Israel of trying to disrupt the current ceasefire agreement and said the decision to cut off aid was “cheap blackmail, a war crime and a direct attack” on the truce that was concluded in January after more than a year of negotiations.

Neither side has declared that the ceasefire is complete. The first phase of the ceasefire, which included an increase in humanitarian aid, ended on Saturday.

The two sides have not yet agreed on a second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens of hostages in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting ceasefire. An Israeli official, who requested anonymity, said the decision to cut off aid was made in coordination with the Trump administration.

There has been no comment from the United States on the proposal announced by Israel or the decision to cut off aid. Hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks have been entering Gaza daily since the ceasefire began on January 19, and it is unclear what the immediate impact of the cessation of supplies will be.

Israel said that the new proposal, allegedly conveyed by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, calls for an extension of the ceasefire through Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting from dawn to dusk that began at the end of the week, and the Jewish holiday period of Passover, which ends on April 20.

Under this proposal, Hamas would release half of the hostages on the first day and the rest when a permanent ceasefire is reached, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel is ready to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire, but insists on the release of more hostages during the talks. He noted that Israel had received an additional letter from the Biden administration stating that there would be no automatic transition between ceasefire phases.

We have fulfilled all our obligations (under the first phase) until the very last day, which was yesterday... Our position is that hostages must be released during the negotiations

Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the ceasefire agreement would have “humanitarian consequences” for the hostages and reiterated that the only way to release them was to implement the current agreement, which did not set a clear deadline for the release of the remaining prisoners.

Hamas has said it is ready to release the remaining hostages, all at once in the second phase, but only in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

An Egyptian official said that Hamas and Egypt would not accept a new proposal aimed at returning hostages without ending the war. The official noted that the agreement provided for the start of negotiations on the second phase in early February.

The official, who spoke anonymously, said mediators were trying to resolve the dispute. There has been no comment from Qatar, which along with Egypt is a key mediator in the talks with Hamas.

Recall

Negotiations to extend the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas have made little progress.