Hamas rejects Israeli request to extend first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal

Hamas has rejected an Israeli request to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, a senior official has said.

The militant group will only release the remaining Israeli hostages under the terms of the already agreed-upon phased deal, Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Under a plan put forward by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel has accepted, the first phase of the ceasefire deal would continue through Ramadan and Passover, or until 20 April.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said earlier Israel would stop all goods and supplies into Gaza after claiming Hamas was refusing to “accept the Witkoff outline for continuing the talks, which Israel agreed to”.

Hamas condemned the decision to block aid to the enclave, calling it “a war crime and a blatant attack” on a truce that took a year of negotiations before taking hold in January.

The foreign minister of Egypt, a key mediator in the conflict, said the plan was an attempt to use “starvation as a weapon” and “a flagrant and clear violation of humanitarian law”.

Saudi Arabia called Israel’s decision “a tool of extortion”.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which expired on Saturday, saw a surge in humanitarian aid after months of growing hunger.

Negotiations on the second phase were meant to start a month ago but haven’t begun.

Israel warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas refused to agree to its proposal.

Under the US proposal, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the rest when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, Mr Netanyahu said.

Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, 35 of them believed to be dead, of the estimated 250 captives taken to Gaza after its 7 October 2023 raid on southern Israel in which 1,200 people died.

Washington made no immediate comment but Mr Netanyahu said Israel is fully coordinated with the Trump administration and the ceasefire will only continue as long as Hamas keeps releasing hostages.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that “any unraveling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair”.

The ceasefire has saved countless lives, the humanitarian organisation said.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Israel’s decision “alarming,” noting that aid access is enshrined in international humanitarian law.

Most of Gaza’s two million-plus residents depend on international aid because of the privations caused by the war.

About 600 aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began on 19 January, easing fears of famine raised by international experts.

Medical charity MSF accused Israel of using aid as a bargaining chip, something it described as “unacceptable” and “outrageous”.

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