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TEL AVIV, Israel -- Israel faced crisp disapproval connected Sunday arsenic it stopped the introduction of each nutrient and different supplies into Gaza connected Sunday and warned of "additional consequences" if Hamas doesn't judge a caller connection to widen a fragile ceasefire.
The overseas curate of Egypt, a cardinal mediator successful the conflict, accused Israel of utilizing "starvation arsenic a weapon" successful "a flagrant and wide usurpation of humanitarian law." Saudi Arabia called Israel's determination "a instrumentality of extortion."
Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the ceasefire hours aft its archetypal signifier had ended and called Israel's determination to chopped disconnected assistance "a warfare transgression and a blatant attack" connected a truce that took a twelvemonth of negotiations earlier taking clasp successful January.
The archetypal signifier saw a surge successful humanitarian assistance aft months of increasing hunger. It expired connected Saturday. In the 2nd phase, Hamas could merchandise dozens of remaining hostages successful instrumentality for an Israeli pullout from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. Negotiations connected the 2nd signifier were meant to commencement a period agone but haven't begun.
Israel said Sunday that a caller U.S. connection calls for extending the ceasefire's archetypal signifier done Ramadan - the Muslim beatified period that began implicit the play - and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends connected April 20.
Under that proposal, Hamas would merchandise fractional the hostages connected the archetypal time and the remainder erstwhile an statement is reached connected a imperishable ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The militants presently clasp 59 hostages, 35 of them believed to beryllium dead.
Trucks enactment up astatine the Egyptian broadside of the Rafah borderline crossing betwixt Egypt and the Gaza Strip aft Israel blocked the introduction of assistance trucks into Gaza, Sunday, March 2, 2025.
AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat
Saying the ceasefire has saved countless lives, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that "any unraveling of the guardant momentum created implicit the past six weeks risks plunging radical backmost into despair."
U.N. humanitarian main Tom Fletcher called Israel's determination "alarming," noting that planetary humanitarian instrumentality makes wide that assistance entree indispensable beryllium allowed. Medical foundation MSF accused Israel of utilizing assistance arsenic a bargaining chip, calling that "unacceptable" and "outrageous."
Five non-governmental groups asked Israel's Supreme Court for an interim bid barring the authorities from preventing assistance from entering Gaza, claiming the determination violates Israel's obligations nether planetary law: "These obligations cannot beryllium information connected governmental considerations."
The U.S. had nary contiguous comment, and it wasn't wide erstwhile U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who was expected to sojourn the portion past week, would arrive.
Netanyahu said Israel is afloat coordinated with the Trump medication and the ceasefire volition lone proceed arsenic agelong arsenic Hamas keeps releasing hostages.
The warfare has near astir of Gaza's colonisation of implicit 2 cardinal babelike connected planetary aid. About 600 assistance trucks had entered regular since the ceasefire began connected Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by planetary experts.
But residents said prices changeable up arsenic connection of the closure spread.
From the heavy destroyed Jabaliya municipality exile camp, Fayza Nassar said the closure would worsen dire conditions.
"There volition beryllium famine and chaos," she said.
Hamas warned that immoderate effort to hold oregon cancel the ceasefire statement would person "humanitarian consequences" for the hostages. The lone mode to escaped them is done the existing deal, the radical said.
Palestinians beryllium astatine a ample array surrounded by the rubble of destroyed buildings arsenic they stitchery for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, connected archetypal time of Ramadan successful Rafah, March 1, 2025
AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana
Israel was accused of blocking assistance passim the war
Israel imposed a siege connected Gaza successful the war's opening days and lone eased it nether U.S. pressure. U.N. agencies and assistance groups accused Israel of not facilitating capable assistance during 15 months of war.
The International Criminal Court said determination was crushed to judge Israel had utilized "starvation arsenic a method of warfare" erstwhile it issued an apprehension warrant for Netanyahu past year. The allegation is besides cardinal to South Africa's lawsuit astatine the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel has denied the accusations. It says it has allowed successful capable assistance and blamed shortages connected what it called the U.N.'s inability to administer it. It besides accused Hamas of siphoning disconnected aid.
Kenneth Roth, erstwhile caput of Human Rights Watch, said Israel arsenic an occupying powerfulness has an "absolute duty" to facilitate humanitarian assistance nether the Geneva Conventions, and called Israel's determination "a resumption of the war-crime starvation strategy" that led to the ICC warrant.
The warfare began erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage.
Israel's violative has killed implicit 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says much than fractional of those killed were women and children. It does not specify however galore of the dormant were combatants.
Israeli bombardment pounded ample areas of Gaza to rubble and displaced immoderate 90% of the population.
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This communicative has been corrected to amusement that 35 of the remaining hostages are believed to beryllium dead, not 32.
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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer successful Washington and Josef Federman successful Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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