Israel halts Gaza supplies as Hamas rejects ceasefire extension
Israel has said it is stopping all supplies coming into Gaza over disagreements with Hamas regarding the extension of the ceasefire.
Israel said it was halting the flow of supplies because Hamas had not agreed to a US proposal to extend the current phase of the deal.
Hamas said the move was "cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack on the [ceasefire] agreement.”
A spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu said: “With the end of Phase 1 of the hostage deal and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the... outline for continuing talks – to which Israel agreed – Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease.”
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages."
Israel is said to believe that Gaza has enough supplies to last several months, according to Kan, an Israeli broadcaster.
Mr Netanyahu’s office threatened "further consequences" if Hamas did not agree to the ceasefire proposal. Hamas has not yet responded.
The news comes hours after Israel it would adopt the US proposal for an extension to the first phase of the ceasefire.
Some 59 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza, at least 35 of whom have been confirmed dead.
The plan, proposed by US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, would involve a temporary ceasefire during Ramadan and Passover.
In effect, this would extend the first phase of the current ceasefire, which is due to expire on Saturday.
In return, Israel wants Hamas to release "half of the living and deceased hostages" according to a statement from Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office reported by Reuters.
The statement adds that the rest of the Israeli hostages would be released "if an agreement on a permanent cease-fire is reached."
It does not specify if Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for hostages - one of the main features of the current ceasefire agreement.
The plan was proposed by the US because both Hamas and Israel needed more time to negotiate phase two of their fragile ceasefire, in hopes of achieving a permanent ceasefire.
Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms of phase one of the deal.
Saturday saw wildly contrasting scenes in Israel and the Occupied West Bank.
Thousands of Israeli protesters took the streets demanding a hostage release, and hundreds of Palestinians went to the Mosque to pray on the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month.
The protesters held signs reading ’war has no winners,’ ’bring the hostages back, not the war,’ and several posters criticising Netanyahu.
The last hostage swap took place on Wednesday, completing both sides’ obligations under the current ceasefire agreement, which is due to end on Saturday.
Trump was hailed as the mastermind behind the ceasefire agreement by Israel’s President, with Benjamin Netanyahu visiting Washington last week.
It’s a meeting which saw Trump announce plans for the US to ’buy’ Gaza - a suggestion that was met with widespread condemnation from Palestinians and heads of states across the world.
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