Israel says it will block Gaza humanitarian aid until Hamas agrees to new conditions

By CNN Newsource

Published March 2, 2025 1:36 AM

By Mike Schwartz, Ibrahim Dahman, Tim Lister and Edward Szekeres, CNN

(CNN) — Israel will stop the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza to pressure Palestinian militant group Hamas into accepting new terms for an extension of the ceasefire agreement, officials said on Sunday, a day after the initial phase of the truce expired.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposed temporary extension of phase one of the Gaza ceasefire would run through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover, which ends in mid-April. He said the extension was an idea put forward by President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The 42-day initial phase of the ceasefire, agreed upon in Qatar in January, ended on Saturday. Israel missed the early February deadline to start phase two talks, and there is no indication they ever began.

There has been no word from Witkoff or the Trump administration on the revised plan, nor on Israel’s assertion that suspending aid for Gaza was agreed with Washington.

Israel and Hamas have been split on what comes next after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire, under which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed since January.

The proposal to extend the initial phase of the truce reportedly envisions half of the hostages held in Gaza being released on the day the extension begins.

Aid groups and the United Nations slammed the Israeli announcement, while Egypt, a mediator in the hostage-ceasefire deal, said it “unequivocally rejects the politicization of humanitarian aid and its exploitation as a tool of blackmail.”

Hamas, which is seeking negotiations on a permanent end to the fighting and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, immediately rejected the plan, saying that Netanyahu and his government were carrying out “a blatant coup against the ceasefire deal” that had already been agreed.

“The only path to regional stability and the return of the prisoners is the full implementation of the agreement, starting with the second phase, which includes negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal, reconstruction, and then the release of prisoners as part of an agreed-upon deal,” Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi said.

Hamas also said Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian aid into Gaza amounts to “cheap blackmail” and a “war crime,” and appealed to mediators to pressure Israel into ending its “punitive and immoral measures.”

Israel moved swiftly after Hamas rejected the proposal, escalating a stand-off over a truce that brought an end to months of fighting in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that “in light of Hamas’ refusal to accept the (US envoy Steve) Witkoff framework for continuing the talks — which Israel had agreed to — Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will be stopped.”

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office (PMO) warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas continues to refuse to accept the proposal. Israel would not allow a ceasefire without the release of the remaining hostages, the statement added.

Phase two doubts

Phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement was supposed to last another 42 days, see the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of all living hostages held by Hamas – estimated to number 24 men – in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Talks to determine its implementation were thrown into doubt Friday when an Israeli delegation abruptly returned from Cairo, a day after arriving in the Egyptian capital, weeks after Netanyahu blew past a February 3 deadline to send a negotiating team.

Israeli officials have indicated their desire for phase one to continue rather than moving on to the more difficult negotiations in phase two. An Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN earlier in the week that Israel was trying to prolong the first phase of the agreement “by as much as possible” in the hope of releasing more hostages.

Netanyahu is under tremendous pressure to return to war. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to withdraw from the governing coalition if Israel doesn’t restart the war and Itamar Ben Gvir quit his post as national security minister over the ceasefire.

Hamas has repeatedly committed itself to the ceasefire. Despite walking close to the edge when it sent to Israel the body of an unknown Palestinian woman instead of hostage Shiri Bibas – mistakenly, the group says – it has largely stuck to the agreement.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel was prepared to continue negotiations “including for the second phase” in exchange for the release of hostages.

“As the first phase of the framework has ended – we have halted the entry of trucks into Gaza. We wouldn’t do it for free,” Saar said at a news conference on Sunday.

Aid vital for Gaza

Nearly 17 months of war in Gaza have reduced much of the enclave to rubble, killed more than 48,000 people, and led to dire living conditions for almost all of its residents.

The enclave almost exclusively relies on humanitarian aid, with aid agencies warning last month that the humanitarian needs of those in Gaza remain huge, despite the promise of a huge influx of aid under phase one of the deal.

Aid agencies on Sunday denounced the Israeli decision to halt aid to Gaza. The International Red Cross said that “any unravelling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair.”

Another agency that works extensively in Gaza, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said that “regardless of negotiations between warring parties, people in Gaza still need an immediate and massive scale-up of humanitarian supplies.”

MSF emergency coordinator Caroline Seguin said there had already been a price spike in Gaza on the news that aid flows were being halted. Ismail Zayda, a civilian shopping at a market in southern Gaza on Sunday, told CNN that prices for basics were already rising, with cheese, tahini and tomatoes about 50% more expensive than previously. He said diesel fuel had disappeared altogether.

Adding to the sense that the truce is in jeopardy, four people were killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza on Sunday, the health ministry said.

The Israeli military has continued to operate inside Gaza since the ceasefire began on January 19, but there has been a marked decline in casualties.

The original ceasefire agreement stipulates that the truce can continue so long as negotiators are talking.

In an apparent attempt to add to the pressure on Israel, Hamas on Saturday released a propaganda video on Saturday showing Israeli hostages in Gaza, including a scene of recently freed captive Iair Horn bidding farewell to his brother Eitan, who remains in captivity after 512 days.

Iair and Eitan’s family authorized media use of the video, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, saying in a statement: “We demand from the decision-makers: Look Eitan in the eyes. Don’t stop the agreement that has already brought dozens of hostages back to us. They are running out of time! Bring everyone home, now, in one phase,” it said.

Israel’s PMO condemned the video as cruel “psychological warfare.”

The ceasefire came into effect in January. Altogether 33 Israeli hostages were released – including two men held in Gaza for a decade – as well as five Thai citizens who had been working on a kibbutz in southern Israel when they were taken hostage. Eight bodies were returned. They included the remains of Bibas and her two small sons – a hugely emotional moment for Israelis.

A total of 1,737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released, including 120 women and children. About 1,000 of those released had been arrested after the October 7 attacks; others were serving long sentences, including life. Some had been in Israeli prisons for decades.

This story has been updated with additional information. CNN’s Caitlin Danaher, Ibrahim Dahman and Jo Shelley contributed reporting.