Israel on Sunday announced that it would stop all goods and humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, a draconian move that disrupted the existing, agreed-upon framework for negotiating a permanent end to the war.
The decision came a day after the end of the first phase of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Here’s what to know:
What has Israel said?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced the halt to the flow of humanitarian assistance and goods hours after his government proposed a seven-week extension of the temporary cease-fire, at the start of which it said that Hamas would have to release half the remaining living hostages as well as the remains of half the deceased ones.
The decision was apparently part of a bid to force Hamas into accepting Israel’s cease-fire proposal.
Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, resulted in the seizure of around 250 hostages and set off the devastating war in Gaza. During the initial cease-fire, 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight dead ones were returned to Israel in exchange for about 1,500 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. That deal also allowed for a significant increase of aid to Gaza.
Israel attributed its extension proposal to the work of the new U.S. envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff. It would replace the original deal, negotiated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, which called for the next phase to include a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a commitment to a permanent cease-fire in return for the release of all remaining living hostages in Gaza.
How has Hamas responded?
Hamas issued a statement on Sunday describing the halt in aid as “cheap blackmail.” The group said Israel’s decision was a “blatant upending of the agreement,” and added that it remained willing to begin negotiations for the second stage of the deal.
What is the impact of the announcement?
The halt, which does not apply to water, according to two Israeli officials, is likely to cause further hardship to Palestinian civilians, many of whom are at the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Supplies of fuel, vital for bakeries, are also being halted.
Aside from stopping humanitarian aid, Israel’s decision is also likely to inflate the price of goods that have begun to appear in Gaza’s markets in greater quantities in recent weeks amid the lull in fighting.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, 35, a father of four from Gaza City, said the announcement had already caused a spike in the prices of essential goods.
During the 15-month war, Israeli bombing and fighting have shattered Gaza and, according to the Palestinian health authorities, killed more than 45,000 people. The amount of aid arriving in Gaza also has dropped dramatically compared with before the war.
The United Nations and aid groups have blamed Israeli restrictions for that drop, while Israel has pointed the finger at aid groups. The result of the decrease has been serious malnutrition. Experts last year repeatedly warned of a looming famine. Under the terms of the cease-fire, there has been a surge in the amount of aid into the enclave. This phase appears now to have ended.
The move also puts the fate of the hostages remaining in Gaza into uncharted territory.
