Israel on Sunday said it has halted all deliveries into Gaza, after the first phase of a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas expired.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “the entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip will be halted,” accusing Hamas of refusing to accept a framework for the continuation of talks proposed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without a release of our hostages,” the statement said. “If Hamas persists in its refusal, there will be additional consequences.”
Hamas accused Netanyahu of violating the ceasefire agreement, which went into force on January 19 after more than 15 months of war.
Stopping humanitarian aid deliveries is “unscrupulous blackmail, a war crime and a serious breach of the agreement,” the group said in a Telegram message, calling on mediators to exert pressure on Israel to end its “repressive and immoral measures.”
Since the ceasefire took effect, increasing amounts of aid supplies have been arriving in the devastated coastal territory.
A halt of deliveries could have dramatic consequences for the approximately 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, who are living in precarious circumstances.
