Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel has stopped all humanitarian supplies to Gaza, citing concerns that Hamas was intercepting the aid and preventing it from reaching the civilian population. “We are stopping all supplies to Gaza because Hamas is stealing the supplies and preventing the people of Gaza from getting them,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He emphasized that the situation made it impossible for humanitarian aid to be properly distributed.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reinforced this stance, stating, “Palestinians in Gaza will not get goods for free,” and tied future aid shipments to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
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The move came after Israel suspended the entry of all goods and humanitarian aid into Gaza as negotiations over a second phase of the ceasefire stalled. The first phase of the ceasefire saw the release of 33 Israeli hostages and the exchange of around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, but further talks have faltered over revised terms put forward by Israel.
Hamas has condemned the blockade, calling it “cheap extortion, a war crime, and a blatant attack” on the ceasefire, insisting that Israel must honor the original agreement, which included negotiations for a permanent truce.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire, tensions remain high, with reports of Palestinian deaths from Israeli gunfire in northern and southern Gaza, adding to the complexities surrounding the ceasefire and the future governance of Gaza.
