Aid trucks being turned around at the Kerem Shalom crossing on March 2, 2025 (Source: video clip - @Osint613/X)
Aid trucks being turned around at the Kerem Shalom crossing (video snippet)

Israel Halts Aid to Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Collapse, Tensions Rise

Details
The Judean Staff
National

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Israel announced on Sunday the immediate suspension of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, effectively tightening its grip on the war-torn enclave after ceasefire negotiations collapsed. The latest round of hostilities erupted as Israel and Hamas reached an impasse over the next steps in a fragile truce, with artillery fire and airstrikes reported inside Gaza following the breakdown of diplomatic efforts.

Ceasefire Extension or Renewed Conflict?

The first phase of the ceasefire, lasting 42 days, was drawing to a close when Israel signaled its willingness to extend the truce. Israeli leadership backed a proposal allegedly put forth by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, aiming to prolong the ceasefire through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Hamas, however, outright rejected the proposal, demanding instead an immediate transition to Phase Two of the agreement—a move that would have required the release of all remaining hostages and an indefinite cessation of hostilities. The sticking point remains the insistence by Israel and the United States that Hamas must disarm and relinquish control over the Gaza Strip to an alternative governing body, a requirement that Hamas has vehemently dismissed as a non-starter.

Given these irreconcilable demands, the likelihood of progressing to Phase Two was always slim. Hamas’ refusal to disarm and surrender has solidified the deadlock, prompting Israel to respond with immediate punitive measures.

Israel Tightens the Noose: Aid Suspended, Military Strikes Resume

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a blunt statement announcing the blockade on humanitarian aid.

"From this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will be suspended. Israel will not accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas persists with its refusal, there will be other consequences."

The decision was swiftly condemned by Hamas, which called it "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant coup against the ceasefire agreement." Predictably, Hamas-controlled agencies, including Gaza’s so-called civil defense forces, accused Israel of launching artillery shelling and tank fire east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military confirmed it had conducted an airstrike in northern Gaza, targeting operatives who were allegedly planting an explosive device near Israeli positions. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s spokesman Omer Dostri confirmed that no aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday and would remain halted "at this stage."

Political Support for Renewed Military Action

The move to suspend aid received immediate backing from Israeli hardliners. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key figure in Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government, praised the decision, calling for even stronger military action:

"Stopping aid until Hamas is destroyed or completely surrenders, and all our hostages are freed, is an important step in the right direction. We must continue the fight until total victory."

Hamas’ Desperate Gamble

Hamas officials, in a last-ditch effort to maintain diplomatic leverage, urged international mediators to pressure Israel to lift the aid suspension. Spokesman Hazem Qassem warned that Israel would bear full responsibility for the "dire consequences" of its decision on Gaza’s population and the fate of the hostages still held in captivity.

Earlier in the day, Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi claimed that the militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single exchange during Phase Two, but only under terms favorable to Hamas. Under the initial agreement, Hamas had already returned 25 living hostages and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the release of about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving life sentences for murdering Israelis in terror attacks. However, Israel remains deeply skeptical of Hamas’ promises, given the group’s history of using negotiations as a stalling tactic.

Misinformation and the "Humanitarian Crisis" Narrative

Amid mounting pressure from the United Nations and pro-Palestinian activists, Israel has pushed back against allegations of famine in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed claims of a looming humanitarian disaster as outright falsehoods:

"With regards to this starvation claim, that was a lie during all this war. That was a lie."

While Hamas and the UN have repeatedly painted a dire picture of food shortages and mass starvation, independent analysts have raised questions about the accuracy of such claims. Footage from Palestinian social media channels has shown supermarkets in Gaza fully stocked with food, and even during the live prisoner exchanges, many in the crowds appeared well-fed, undermining accusations of mass starvation.

Casualty Figures: A War of Narratives

As with previous conflicts, casualty figures remain highly contested. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims that more than 48,000 people—"mostly civilians"—have been killed since the start of the war. However, these figures have been unverified, and Israel has pointed out that Hamas does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its death tolls.

Independent military experts have noted that Israel's civilian-to-combatant death ratio, estimated at 1.5:1, is the lowest recorded in urban warfare history—suggesting a far more restrained military campaign than those conducted by other nations in similar conflicts.

The war, which erupted following Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel, left 1,218 Israelis dead—mostly civilians—while 251 hostages were taken into Gaza. Of those, 58 remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.

The U.S. Steps In: Military Aid Boosted

As tensions soar, the United States has doubled down on its support for Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an expedited delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance, invoking emergency authorities to fast-track the aid package.

With diplomatic avenues collapsing and both sides entrenching their positions, the latest developments signal a dangerous escalation in the conflict. Israel’s move to suspend aid, combined with renewed military operations, suggests that a return to full-scale warfare may be inevitable unless Hamas capitulates to Israeli demands. The coming days will prove critical in determining whether Gaza plunges back into all-out war or if diplomatic efforts can miraculously salvage the crumbling ceasefire agreement.

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