Israel announced that the country is stopping the introduction of goods and supplies to Gaza. The reason is that the terrorist-stamped Hamas has not accepted the proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that "aid shipments must continue to flow into Gaza immediately", and he urged "all parties to do everything to prevent a return to hostilities" and that "all hostages" must be released.
Allow extension
The EU's foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni criticized on the one hand Hamas' refusal to accept an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire, and on the other hand that Israel's stop of aid shipments into Gaza "risks having humanitarian consequences". "The EU demands that negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire be quickly resumed", says El Anouni in a statement.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty accused Israel of "using starvation as a weapon" and that there is no alternative to "fully implementing" the plan for a ceasefire that exists.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry said that Israel's decision "threatens to re-ignite the spark" in the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia accused Israel of "blackmail and collective punishment" which is a "flagrant violation of international law".
Expired on Saturday
The first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired on Saturday. According to the agreement's conditions, hostilities should not be resumed while negotiations are ongoing about a second phase of the ceasefire.
While Israel temporarily wants to extend the first phase, Hamas insists that an agreement must rather be reached on a second phase.
