Israel announced on Sunday that it had attempted to immediately halt all goods and humanitarian invasions into Gaza and force Hamas to accept a temporary extension of the enclave's ceasefire.
This move disrupts existing agreed frameworks to negotiate the lasting end of war, and places the fate of hostages into unknown territory. After leaving most of the coastal enclaves in abandoned in the 15-month war, halting fuel-containing goods and aid could exacerbate the conditions for around 2 million residents of Gaza.
The first six-week phase of the original deal between Israel and Hamas expired on Saturday. It was holed up by mutual accusations of set-offs and violations, but ultimately there was at least a temporary halt in exchange for the remains of 25 living Israeli hostages and the eight dead, about 1,500 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The transaction also allowed for a significant increase in aid to Gaza.
The next phase of the agreement called for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the commitment to a permanent ceasefire in exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages in Gaza.
Instead, hours before the announcement of the suspension of aid, Israel proposed a seven-week extension of the temporary ceasefire. Meanwhile, Hamas must release the remains of half of the remaining living hostages and half of the deceased. With the conclusion of that extension, all remaining hostages will need to be released if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of hostages,” Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Sunday.
“If Hamas continues to reject it, there will be more consequences,” he added.
Hamas quickly rejected Israeli gambit and issued a statement on Sunday describing the suspension of aid as “cheap, horrifying mail, war crimes, blatant maintenance of contracts.”
Israel attributed the proposal to Steve Witkov, a work by an American envoy. The existing contracts were negotiated between Israel and Hamas through mediators from third countries, including the US, Qatar and Egypt.
Last year, the United Nations and aid groups repeatedly warned of the looming hunger in Gaza amid the widespread hunger during the war. Although more products are available now, many Gazanians cannot afford to buy them, and many rely on humanitarian assistance.
Palestinians in Gaza are already struggling to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, which began this weekend, and are usually a fun time on the Muslim calendar.
Two Israeli officials have spoken about the terms of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, saying the government believed that the aid and goods that have entered the enclave in recent months had enough supplies for several more months during the temporary ceasefire. They did not provide further details.
Authorities added that the new restrictions will not apply to water invasions.
Under the existing ceasefire agreement, Israel should have now begun to remove its troops from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic land along Gaza's border with Egypt. By Sunday, there had not been any such movement.
Netanyahu's office said the proposed temporary ceasefire should be extended through the Muslim fasting month in Ramadan and the Passover Jewish holiday, which will end on April 20th. Hamas also holds the bodies of more than 30 people believed to be dead.
“Steve Witkoff has proposed a framework to extend the ceasefire after getting the impression that there is no possibility of bridging a sideline in ending the war at the moment and that consultations on a permanent ceasefire would require additional time,” the prime minister's statement added.
The Israeli government was categorized that the war in Gaza would not end unless Hamas was disarmed there and removed from power, and Hamas largely refused.
On Sunday, Israel also raised the ghosts to resume fighting in Gaza. According to the original agreement, Israel could return to the fight at this point “if you get the impression that negotiations are not effective.”
Hamas is unlikely to accept Israel's new offers without further negotiations, said Aeron David Miller, a former Middle East analyst at the State Department and now a senior fellow at Carnegie's International Peace Fund. The proposal “enables the Israelis to reclaim hostages without making mutual commitments,” he said.
Eve Sampson contributed to the report from New York and Myra Novek in Jerusalem.
