Earlier in the day, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced it would adopt the new proposal, put forward by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would cover Ramadan, due to end late March, and Passover, lasting through mid-April.
“With the conclusion of the first stage of the hostages deal and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for the continuation of the talks, to which Israel agreed, Netanyahu decided: as of this morning, entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip be halted,” the Prime Minister’s office said.
It added that Israel “will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages”, threatening “consequences”.
The proposal calls for the release of half of the hostages held in Gaza, both alive and dead, on the first day of the extension. Hamas called it a “blatant attempt to evade the agreement and avoid entering into negotiations for its second phase”.
“Netanyahu’s decision to stop humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the agreement,” the group said.
It reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement in its three phases. “We have repeatedly announced our readiness to start negotiations on the second stage of the agreement.”
The Palestinian group called on the mediators and the international community to “move to pressure the [Israeli] occupation and stop its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip”. “If agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire – the remaining living and deceased hostages will be released,” Hamas said.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Israel «bears responsibility» for the fate of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at a news conference, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Palestinians in Gaza would not get goods for free and further negotiations should be linked to the release of the hostages.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also welcomed the decision to suspend aid to Gaza, calling for a renewed fight «until total victory» against Hamas.
«The decision … to completely stop the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas is destroyed or completely surrenders and all our hostages are freed is an important step in the right direction,» he wrote on Telegram, calling to «open [the] gates [of hell] as quickly and violently as possible against the merciless enemy, until total victory».
Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, said on Sunday that Egypt will «continue intensive efforts to start negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal» adding that he expects the Gaza reconstruction plan to be approved at the Arab League meeting.
Hamas said that it rejected Israel’s “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, on the day the first stage of the deal was set to expire. The group’s spokesman Hazem Qassem also told Al Araby TV there were no current talks for a second ceasefire phase in Gaza with the group.
The ceasefire agreement halted 15 months of fighting beginning on January 19, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais captured on Hamas’ October 7 attack for about 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. It was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the ceasefire deal.
Talks on the second phase of the ceasefire have been continuing, most recently in Cairo, but have not led to an agreement. Egyptian sources said the Israeli delegation sought to extend the first phase by 42 days, while Hamas wanted to move to the second phase of the ceasefire deal.