On Sunday, Israel announced a halt to all goods and supplies entering the Gaza Strip, threatening “additional consequences” unless Hamas agrees to a new proposal for extending the ceasefire. Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of attempting to sabotage the fragile truce, labelling the blockade a form of “cheap extortion”, a war crime, and a blatant infringement of the ceasefire agreement.
The initial phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which had seen a substantial increase in humanitarian assistance, concluded on Saturday. Both parties have yet to negotiate the forthcoming phase, which is expected to involve Hamas releasing a number of hostages in exchange for Israel withdrawing and establishing a sustainable ceasefire.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel expressed support for a proposal to extend the ceasefire through the upcoming religious observances of Ramadan and Passover, lasting until April 20. This proposal is attributed to Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy. Under this plan, it is proposed that Hamas would free half of the hostages on the first day, with the remaining hostages being released once an agreement for a permanent ceasefire is achieved, according to statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
As the situation develops, there has been no immediate response from the United States, Egypt, or Qatar, which have been engaged in mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas for over a year.