Israel has imposed a block on all aid entering the Gaza Strip following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Sunday morning confirming that Israel had blocked the entry of all goods into Gaza.
The move, which coincides with the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims, came after Hamas refused to accept the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
“With the end of phase one of the hostage deal, and in light of Hamas’ refusal to accept the [US envoy Steve] Witkoff outline for continuing the talks – to which Israel agreed, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that starting this morning all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease,” the statement said.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”
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At the end of the first phase of the ceasefire – mediated by Qatar with the help of Egypt and the United States – Hamas refused to extend it, saying it would only accept moving to the second stage, which was supposed to guarantee the definitive end of the war, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of remaining captives.
The first phase of the truce, which began on January 19, largely halted over 15 months of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Israel said overnight that it had accepted a last-minute proposal put on the table by the US president’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire over Ramadan and Passover.
According to Israel, the proposal also outlined the release of all hostages still in Gaza in two stages, with the second stage contingent on negotiating a permanent ceasefire.
On Sunday, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported Israeli artillery shelling and tank fire near the southern city of Khan Younis.
“Artillery shelling and gunfire from Israeli tanks targeted the border areas of Abasan al-Kabira town, east of Khan Younis city, in the southern Gaza Strip,” the agency said in a statement.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has left at least 48,319 dead, the majority of them civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The approximately 2.4 million inhabitants of the besieged territory have been displaced in their entirety, living in catastrophic conditions.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for 25 living Israeli captives and eight deceased ones.
An estimated 10,000 Palestinian prisoners remain in Israeli custody, while 59 Israelis are held in Gaza.
A third phase of the ceasefire is expected to be devoted to reconstructing Gaza, a project the UN estimates will cost over $53bn.
