Israel Halts Aid to Gaza After 1st Phase of Ceasefire Ends

Israel has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza following the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, as negotiations over a potential extension remain deadlocked.

Hamas has held firm on the terms of the ceasefire agreement, saying that the next phase - which will include hostage exchanges, along with a withdrawal of Israeli troops - must proceed as originally negotiated. The Israeli government meanwhile has proposed a temporary extension of the first phase of the ceasefire through a US envoy, which could see further hostage exchanges without Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas has refused to agree to an extension of the initial ceasefire period without guarantees from US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the second phase of the deal will be implemented.

The Israeli government has stated its willingness to resume negotiations immediately if Hamas agrees to a six-week ceasefire during Ramadan and Passover, based on a US proposal. Under this plan, the ceasefire would begin with the release of half of the remaining living and deceased hostages. However, Israel has maintained that military operations will resume if the negotiations fail to progress.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which began on January 19th and lasted until March 1st, resulted in the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians held hostage in Israel. Talks on the second phase, which would involve the release of all remaining living hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, have seen little progress. Reports suggest that 24 hostages are believed to be alive, while 39 others are presumed dead.