West Jerusalem accuses Hamas of rejecting ceasefire extension.
Citing Hamas’s rejection of an extension to the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement, which concluded on Saturday, Israel has stopped all humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office announced the decision via a post on X on Sunday.
The statement read: “With the conclusion of the 1st 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 & supplies to the Gaza Strip be halted,”
According to Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, Israeli officials believe enough aid has already entered Gaza to supply Hamas for several months. The Witkoff framework, proposed by US envoy Steve Witkoff, suggested extending the truce through Ramadan and Passover in April.
Hamas turned down the proposal on Saturday, urging Israel to proceed to the agreement’s second phase instead. The US, Qatar, and Egypt brokered the ceasefire agreement, which is structured in three 42-day phases.
The first phase involved a truce and an exchange of prisoners. The second phase aims for a lasting cessation of hostilities, the release of all remaining captives, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The third phase is intended to focus on Gaza’s reconstruction, overseen by Egypt, Qatar, and the UN.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al Araby TV that no talks were currently underway regarding the second phase of the agreement. Qassem claimed that Israel is hesitant to move forward, preferring to secure the release of the remaining hostages while maintaining the option to resume military actions.
On Sunday, Hamas called Netanyahu’s decision to block aid to Gaza “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” against the ceasefire deal. The group has also previously accused Israel of violating the truce.
During the first phase of the agreement, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages, including deceased bodies, in return for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza, and Israeli assessments suggest that at least 35 of them are dead.
Netanyahu’s office stated on Sunday: “Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” and threatened “further consequences” if Hamas rejects the proposal.
The hostages were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed. Gaza’s health authorities report that nearly 47,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the past 16 months.
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