Israel cuts off Gaza relief, UN calls move alarming

Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire, while key mediator Egypt accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres called on Sunday for Israel to end its suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza “immediately.”

“The Secretary-General urges all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza. He calls for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages,” said a statement from the UN posted on X.

The United Nations humanitarian agency’s head condemned on Sunday Israel’s suspension of vital aid into Gaza, which he said was contrary to international law.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. AFP

“Israel’s decision to halt aid into Gaza is alarming. International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid,” OCHA head Thomas Fletcher wrote on X.

Four Palestinians were killed and six others injured as Israeli forces targeted various areas across the Gaza Strip, a day after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement concluded.

Since the announcement of the ceasefire, the total number of casualties has reached 116 fatalities and more than 490 injuries, according to medical sources in Gaza.

Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the ceasefire agreement hours after its first phase ended. It called the decision to cut off aid “cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack” on the truce, which took hold in January after over a year of negotiations. Both sides stopped short of saying the ceasefire had ended.

Fatima Al-Absi (left) shares Iftar with her daughter and grandchildren in their damaged apartment in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AP

The first phase, which included a surge in humanitarian assistance after months of growing hunger in the territory, expired on Saturday. The two sides have yet to negotiate the second phase, in which Hamas was to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. Talks should have begun a month ago.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty condemned Israel’s decision as “a flagrant and clear violation of humanitarian law,” and called for the immediate implementation of the second phase.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the releases of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, said the ceasefire has saved countless lives, and “any unraveling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair.”

Abdelatty said that Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan, which ensures Palestinians remain in their land, is ready and will be presented at an emergency Arab summit in Cairo on Tuesday.

Arab states, which were swift to reject President Donald Trump’s plan for the US to take control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians, are scrambling to agree on a diplomatic offensive to counter the idea.

Trump’s plan, announced on February 4 amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, appeared to back away from longstanding US Middle East policy focused on a two-state solution and sparked anger among Palestinians and Arab nations.

Palestinians sit at a large table surrounded by the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings as they gather for iftar in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AP

Abdelatty said Egypt would seek international backing and funding for the plan and emphasised Europe’s crucial role, particularly in the financing of Gaza’s reconstruction.

“We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab Summit,” he said in a press conference with the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica.

Israel described the new proposal as a US one. There was no immediate comment from the United States, and it was not clear when US envoy Steve Witkoff, expected to visit the region last week, would arrive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that under the existing agreements Israel could resume fighting after the first phase if it believes negotiations are ineffective. He said the ceasefire would only continue if Hamas keeps releasing hostages, telling his Cabinet “there will be no free lunches.”

He said Israel was “full coordinated” with President Donald Trump’s administration.

Agencies