TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel stopped the entry of all items and provides into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “extra penalties” if Hamas doesn’t settle for a brand new proposal to increase a fragile ceasefire.
Hamas accused Israel of making an attempt to derail the present ceasefire settlement and stated its determination to chop off help was “low-cost extortion, a conflict crime and a blatant assault” on the truce, which took maintain in January after greater than a 12 months of negotiations. Each side stopped in need of saying the ceasefire had ended.
The primary section of the ceasefire, which included a surge in humanitarian help, expired on Saturday. The 2 sides have but to barter the second section, by which Hamas was to launch dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout and a long-lasting ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that below the present agreements Israel might resume combating after the primary section if it believed negotiations had been ineffective. He stated the ceasefire would solely proceed if Hamas saved releasing hostages, telling his Cupboard that “there shall be no free lunches.” He stated Israel was “full coordinated” with President Donald Trump’s administration.
There was no speedy remark from the USA on the proposal introduced by Israel or its determination to chop off help.
Tons of of help vehicles have entered Gaza day by day for the reason that ceasefire started on Jan. 19, and it was unclear what the speedy influence of the help cutoff could be.
Israel says the brand new proposal is backed by the US
Israel stated the brand new proposal, which it stated got here from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, referred to as for extending the ceasefire by way of Ramadan — the Muslim holy month that started over the weekend — and the Jewish Passover vacation, which ends on April 20.
Beneath that proposal, Hamas would launch half the hostages on the primary day and the remaining when an settlement is reached on a everlasting ceasefire, Netanyahu stated.
Overseas Minister Gideon Saar, talking earlier at a press convention, stated “we fulfilled all our commitments (below Section 1) till the final day, which was yesterday.”
Hamas warned that any try and delay or cancel the ceasefire settlement would have “humanitarian penalties” for the hostages and reiterated that the one solution to free them was by way of implementing the present deal, which didn’t specify a timeline for liberating the remaining captives.
Hamas has stated it’s keen to free the hostages suddenly in Section 2, however solely in return for the discharge of extra Palestinian prisoners, a everlasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
An Egyptian official stated Hamas and Egypt wouldn’t settle for a brand new proposal aimed toward returning the remaining hostages with out ending the conflict. The official famous that the settlement had referred to as on the 2 sides to start negotiations over Section 2 in early February.
The official, who was not licensed to transient media and spoke on situation of anonymity, stated mediators had been making an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Ceasefire has been marred by disputes
Beneath the primary, six-week section of the ceasefire, Hamas launched 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in alternate for the discharge of practically 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces pulled again from most of Gaza and Israel allowed a surge of humanitarian help to enter.
However the first section was marred by repeated disputes, with either side accusing the opposite of violations.
Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the navy stated had approached its forces or entered areas in violation of the truce. Israel carried out an airstrike on Palestinians who it stated had been planting an explosive machine in northern Gaza close to the border on Sunday. Gaza’s Well being Ministry stated two males had been killed within the strike and that Israeli fireplace killed two different folks elsewhere.
Hamas paraded the captives — some of whom were emaciated — earlier than crowds in public spectacles that Israel and the United Nations stated had been merciless and degrading.
Hamas stated Israel’s help suspension was one other violation, saying the ceasefire and help deliveries had been imagined to proceed throughout negotiations over Section 2.
Israel was accused of blocking help all through the conflict
Israel imposed a whole siege on Gaza within the opening days of the conflict and solely eased it later below U.S. stress.
U.N. businesses and help teams accused Israel of not facilitating enough aid throughout 15 months of conflict, and the Biden administration repeatedly pressed it to do extra. Specialists warned on a number of events that hunger was widespread in Gaza and that there was a threat of famine.
The Worldwide Legal Court docket stated there was purpose to consider Israel had used “hunger as a technique of warfare” when it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu final 12 months. The allegation can be central to South Africa’s case on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel has denied the accusations and rejected each courtroom actions as being biased towards it. Israel says it has allowed sufficient help to enter and blamed shortages on what it stated was the U.N.’s lack of ability to distribute it. It additionally accused Hamas of siphoning off help.
The conflict started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and taking 251 hostage. The militants are at present holding 59 hostages, 32 of whom are believed to be lifeless, after releasing a lot of the relaxation in two ceasefire agreements.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry. It says greater than half of these killed had been ladies and kids however doesn’t specify how lots of the lifeless had been combatants.
Israeli bombardment and floor operations pounded giant areas of the strip to rubble and on the top of the battle displaced some 90% of the inhabitants of two.3 million Palestinians. The conflict has left most of Gaza’s inhabitants depending on worldwide help for meals and different necessities.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo.
___
Comply with AP’s conflict protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
