Israel announced this Sunday, March 2, that he suspended the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip by accusing Hamas his refusal of an American proposal for the expansion of the truce and threatening “other consequences” in the event of persistent disagreement.
The Palestinian Islamist movement immediately denounced as “mean blackmail, war crime and a blatant violation of the agreement” of Trêve This decision returning to cutting humanitarian aid essential to deal with the catastrophic situation in the territory.
At the expiration of the first phase of the truce negotiated by the mediation of Qatar with the help of Egypt and the United States and entered into force on January 19, Israel and Hamas appear to be disagreeing on the form to be given as a result of the process from this Sunday. Israel announced in the night that it had accepted a proposal put on the table by the special envoy of the American president for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and providing for an extension of the truce during the period of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover, until mid-April.
According to Israel, the proposal also provides for the liberation over this period of all the hostages still in Gaza in twice, the second being conditioned on an agreement on a permanent ceasefire remaining to negotiate.
Hamas rejected this proposal, demanding to go to phase two provided for by the initial agreement, saying that the American compromise amounts to allowing Israel to “escape the agreements it signed”.
“Israel will not accept a cease-fire without release of our hostages
“Faced with Hamas’ refusal to accept the executive (proposed by Steve Witkoff) for the continuation of negotiations”, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu “decided that, this morning, any entrance to goods and supplies in the Gaza Strip would be suspended,” his office announced his office. “Israel will not accept a cease-fire without release of our hostages,” adds the text, and “if Hamas persists in its refusal, there will be other consequences”.
“No truck has entered Gaza this morning and none will go” until further notice, wrote on X Omer Dostri, spokesperson for Benyamin Netanyahu. “The columns of goods trucks currently on the way to Gaza arrive at the crossing point only to discover that it is closed and that the entrance is prohibited.”
Hamas called “mediators and the international community (to) put pressure on” Israel to “put an end to its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip”.
Torn out after months of arduous negotiations, the cease-fire agreement silenced after fifteen months of a devastating war launched by the attack on Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. The initial agreement includes three phases lasting 42 days each.