Several Arab nations and the United Nations have condemned Israel for blocking all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip. Egypt and Qatar stated that Israel's actions on Sunday violated the ceasefire agreement, while UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher described the move as "appalling." The international community is increasingly concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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03-04, 2025Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country took action because Hamas stole the supplies and used them to "fund its terror machine." He also accused the Palestinian organization of rejecting a U.S. proposal to extend the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which expired on Saturday. Israel claims to have approved the proposal, highlighting the conflicting narratives surrounding the ceasefire.
A Hamas spokesman said that Israel's blockade was "cheap blackmail" and a "coup" against the ceasefire agreement. The Qatari Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday "strongly condemning" Israel's decision, calling it a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire agreement and "international humanitarian law." The Egyptian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of using starvation as a "weapon against the Palestinian people." Both Qatar and Egypt had helped mediate the Gaza ceasefire agreement, underscoring their frustration with the current situation.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry expressed "condemnation and denunciation" of Israel's aid blockade. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher posted on X, stating: "International humanitarian law is clear: we must be allowed in to deliver vital life-saving assistance." The international community is urging Israel to adhere to international law and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.
Netanyahu stated that Israel decided to take action "because Hamas steals the supplies, prevents the people of Gaza from getting them. It uses these supplies to fund its terror machine, which is directly targeting Israel and our civilians, and this is something we cannot accept." Hamas has previously denied stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza. Netanyahu also stated that Hamas rejected a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary extension of the ceasefire agreement. The first phase of the ceasefire went into effect on January 19 and expired at midnight on Saturday.
Negotiations on the second phase, which were originally scheduled to begin weeks ago—aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire, releasing all remaining living hostages, and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza—have barely started. It is believed that 24 hostages are still alive, while another 39 are presumed dead. The third phase aims to repatriate all remaining bodies of deceased hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza, which is expected to take years. Hamas has previously stated that it would not agree to extend any agreement on the first phase without guarantees from mediators that the second phase would eventually proceed, emphasizing the complexity of the negotiations.
As the first phase of the agreement expired on Saturday, Netanyahu's office stated that Israel had agreed to Witkoff's proposal to extend the ceasefire agreement for approximately six weeks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday. If negotiations stall at the end of this period, Israel reserves the right to return to war. Witkoff has not publicly commented on his proposal. According to Israel, this would begin with the release of half of all remaining living and deceased hostages.
According to Israel, Witkoff proposed the temporary extension because he was convinced that more time was needed to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas on the conditions for ending the war. Aid agencies confirmed that no aid trucks were allowed into Gaza on Sunday morning. "Humanitarian aid must continue to flow into Gaza. It is very important. We call on all parties to ensure that they reach a solution," Antoine Renard of the World Food Programme (WFP) told the BBC.
Since the ceasefire agreement was reached in mid-January, thousands of trucks have entered the Gaza Strip each week. Aid agencies have managed to stockpile supplies, meaning that civilians are not in immediate danger. Also on Sunday, medical workers said four people had been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. The Israeli military said they attacked individuals planting explosive devices in the northern part of the territory. Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.
Israel responded with airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
