Israel is facing strong criticism after it stopped sending food and supplies into Gaza. They also warned of “more consequences” for Hamas if a fragile ceasefire is not extended. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of breaking humanitarian laws by using starvation as a weapon.
Hamas rejected Israel’s terms to extend the Gaza ceasefire, calling their actions “a war crime” and an attack on a truce that took a year of hard negotiations to establish in January. During the first phase of the ceasefire, humanitarian aid had increased after months of hunger in Gaza.
The second phase might involve Hamas freeing dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for Israel pulling out of Gaza and agreeing to a lasting ceasefire. This phase’s negotiations should have started a month ago, but they haven’t begun yet.
Israel mentioned a new US proposal to extend the ceasefire through Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, and the Jewish Passover, which ends on April 20. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under this proposal, Hamas would release half of the hostages immediately, and the rest when a permanent ceasefire is reached. Currently, there are 59 hostages, with 35 believed to be dead.
The US did not comment immediately but Netanyahu stated that Israel is working closely with the Trump administration and that ceasefire will continue only if Hamas keeps releasing hostages.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said the ceasefire saved many lives and if things fall apart now, people will suffer again. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Israel’s action “alarming” because international humanitarian law requires aid to be allowed in. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged everyone involved to work together to keep the peace in Gaza and to let aid flow back in while also releasing all hostages.
Five humanitarian groups asked Israel’s Supreme Court for permission to allow aid back into Gaza, saying stopping it breaks international laws that should not be influenced by politics. The war has made most of Gaza’s 2 million people rely on international aid, and before the recent halt, about 600 aid trucks were delivering supplies every day.
Residents expressed fear that prices will soar due to the closures. Fayza Nassar from the crowded Jabaliya refugee camp said this would worsen the already bad situation. “There will be famine and chaos,” she said.
Hamas warned that if the ceasefire agreement is delayed or canceled, it would have serious humanitarian effects on the hostages. They stated that the only way to free hostages is through the current deal. Families of the hostages stressed the urgency of the situation to the Israeli government, saying negotiations shouldn’t be postponed.
Throughout the war, Israel has been accused of blocking aid, imposing a siege on Gaza early on and facilitating only limited aid under US pressure. UN agencies and charity groups claim Israel has not allowed enough aid for 15 months. The International Criminal Court had previously stated there was reason to believe Israel used starvation as a weapon and even issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Israel denied these claims, stating they provided enough aid and blamed shortages on problems with the UN’s distribution. They also accused Hamas of misusing aid, a claim repeated by Netanyahu.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed over 48,000 Palestinians, with many being women and children. This brutality began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
