TRANSCRIPT
As phase one of the Gaza ceasefire agreement officially came to an end on Sunday, Israel says it's had a change of plans.
Instead of proceeding to phase two as planned, Israeli officials now say they are adopting a proposal from US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, extending the first phase of the deal until after the Jewish Passover holiday.
In a move condemned by mediators, the United Nations, and regional leaders, Israel has also made the decision to block all aid trucks from entering Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says Israel must not use aid restrictions to enforce collective punishment on the Palestinian people.
"Regarding the second phase (ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel), as I mentioned, each party must implement its obligations and an agreement has been signed. This agreement must be implemented and includes the full flow of aid. The use of aid as a weapon of collective punishment and starvation must not, cannot, or should not be allowed or accepted. This is completely unacceptable and represents a flagrant and explicit violation of international humanitarian law."
Israel's adopted proposal would require Hamas to release half the living and dead hostages on day one of the truce and the remainder at the conclusion, if a permanent ceasefire is agreed to.
By extending phase one with the conditions outlined in the new proposal, Israel would not be required to fulfill its initial obligation of a full troop withdrawal from Gaza.
Under the original agreement, phase two was intended to see the start of negotiations over the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and a final end to the war.
Hamas says it remains committed to the originally agreed ceasefire, rejecting what it calls a "war crime" and a "blatant coup against the agreement".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there will be consequences if Hamas does not cooperate.
“Hamas had also put forward positions for a permanent ceasefire that are totally unacceptable. Israel has decided to stop letting goods and supplies into Gaza, something we've done for the past 42 days. We've done that because Hamas steals the supplies and prevents the people of Gaza from getting them. It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians – and this we cannot accept. We will take further steps if Hamas continues to hold our hostages. And throughout this, Israel knows that America and President Trump have our back. Thank you again, President Trump!"
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has since condemned Israel's decision to block aid deliveries.
The UN humanitarian agency says the move is alarming and may be in violation of international law.
Prior to the ceasefire's implementation, the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme both issued warnings of widespread famine and starvation in Gaza.
In the six weeks since Israel lifted the blockade on aid entry, hundreds of trucks entering every day have brought much needed food and aid to the starving population.
This truck driver says his truck has been blocked from entering Gaza for weeks.
“Today is the second day of Ramadan, as you can see, the trucks are standing still. The people there (in Gaza) have no food or drink. The priority should be for the trucks to enter above anything else. We have been here since February 17, and not a single truck has entered yet. The trucks that do manage to enter are sent back. No one understands what is happening. Hopefully, we will be allowed to enter because the people there need this aid more than we do “
Inside Gaza, Israel's military bombardment has left the population of over 2 million people totally dependent on international aid.
As Gaza's Muslim population commence the holy month of Ramadan, fears are growing over the possibility that Israeli attacks will resume.
Hisham Nagi, who lives in Gaza, says people are feeling afraid.
“Suffering will increase after the occupation's decision to close the crossings. Frankly, since the beginning of the war, they've been trying to starve us, and we fear the people will starve due to the lack of aid and food supplies. Additionally, people are afraid of the return of war and facing death again. Isn't it enough that the occupation has killed 50 or 60 thousand martyrs so far.”
Despite calling for an extension to phase one and accusations that Hamas is derailing the process, Palestinian authorities say recent Israeli strikes killed four people in separate attacks on Gaza.
The Israeli military says an airstrike was carried out to target people it deems to be suspects, who it says were identified close to its troops in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israel Hayom newspaper and Israel's Channel 14 are reporting that Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen is planning to request a stop to the supply of electricity to Gaza in the next cabinet meeting.
The reports also say the Israeli government is willing to cut off both water and electricity if Hamas does not agree to its changes.
Udi Goren is the head of Knesset desk at the Hostages Families Forum, he says if the Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer, the Israeli hostages will also.
“I want to make sure that everybody around the world remembers, the fate of the Israeli hostages is tied to the fate of the Gazans. If we want to bring some comfort to the Gazans, rebuild Gaza and offer them a different life, we need to bring back the hostages. If we want to find any comfort within Israel and end this catastrophe for Israelis, we must bring back the hostages and this is the key to ending this conflict.”
In Israel, more than 2000 people have taken to the streets in Jerusalem to demand their government reach a deal immediately.
Despite many Israelis in Jerusalem welcoming the decision to block aid, which they say is a way to pressure Hamas, others say the Israeli government is stalling for its own gain.
Demonstrators like Ady Romach gathered outside Mr Netanyahu's residence, pleading for the release of the hostages.
“I’m here because I can’t sleep at night. I can’t believe that there are still so many hostages there, that are suffering every day and the government does nothing to bring them back. The opposite. She does everything she can to leave them here, because all Benjamin Netanyahu cares about is his government and he doesn’t care at all about their life. So we can’t take it anymore. So we are here and we don’t want to go anywhere until they come back from Gaza, to their homes, to their families. It’s unbelievable that it’s more than a year, and they are still there.”
