World
Israel stopping all goods and supplies into Gaza – hours after agreeing ceasefire extension plan
Israel says it is stopping all goods and supplies into Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed Hamas was refusing to “accept the Witkoff outline for continuing the talks, which Israel agreed to”.
Under a plan put forward by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, the first phase of the ceasefire deal would continue through Ramadan and Passover, or until 20 April.
Surrounded by the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, Palestinians gather to break their fast on the first day of Ramadan in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP
Israel said in a statement that Mr Netanyahu “decided that starting this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip would cease”.
It added: “Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages.
“If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”
Israeli’s foreign minister said the country’s commitment to deliver goods was “for the first phase” and that “has lapsed”.
Gideon Saar added that Israel is ready for the second phase of the agreement but “not for free”.
Hamas called Israel’s decision a “cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack on the [ceasefire] agreement”.
The militant group said the move “affects” the peace process, and “complicates matters and affects the negotiation process, and Hamas doesn’t respond to pressures”.
Egypt – a key mediator with the group – accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon”.
Both sides stopped short of saying the ceasefire had ended.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
File pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
The holy month of Ramadan started on Friday and is usually between 29 and 30 days. Pictures emerged from Gaza of Palestinians celebrating among the rubble.
The Jewish holiday of Passover is shorter, but this year finishes on Sunday 20 April.
The first phase of the previously agreed ceasefire expired on Saturday.
Phase one halted 15 months of fighting and saw the release of 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and five Thai nationals, in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The extension would push back phase two of the ceasefire, which was intended to introduce talks to bring about a permanent end to the war.
Hamas said earlier on Saturday the group rejected Israel’s “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, but did not explicitly mention Mr Witkoff’s plan.
Both sides have previously traded accusations that the other has violated the fragile ceasefire.
Meanwhile, talks on the long-term future of Gaza are yet to seriously materialise after the UN said it would take decades to rebuild the enclave.
Palestinians gather among the rubble for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of Ramadan in Rafah, in the south of the enclave. Pic: AP
Pic: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana
Israeli statement
A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office originally published in Hebrew said that on the first day of the proposed extension, half of the hostages and bodies of the dead would be released.
It added that at the end, if an agreement on a permanent ceasefire was reached, the remaining hostages and bodies would also be released.
The statement added: “Witkoff proposed the outline for extending the ceasefire after he was impressed that at this stage there was no possibility of bridging the positions of the parties to end the war, and that additional time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire.”
It went on to add that Israel could return to fighting “after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective”, pointing out that this was supported by the Trump administration.
It isn’t clear what dates these days correspond to.
Contention over the extension
Two Palestinian officials familiar with negotiations told Reuters that Israel refused to enter phase two of the agreement or start negotiations about it.
Instead, they said that Israel requested an extension of the first phase, conditioned on the handover of a number of hostages and bodies for each week of the extension.
Hamas, however, Reuters reported, rejected this and insisted on sticking to the original agreement and entering into the second phase, as was previously agreed.
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Before the most recent statement, an Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire talks said Hamas, Qatar and Egypt wanted to continue with the existing ceasefire deal, according to The Associated Press.
It added that they rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the ceasefire for four weeks, with hostage releases, without officially entering the second phase.