In Response to Hamas's Rejection of Ceasefire Extension; Israel Halts Goods Entry

Following Hamas's rejection of the U.S. proposal to extend the ceasefire, Israel announced that it would stop all entry of goods and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip starting today. According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office considers this action a response to Hamas's opposition to the proposal by 'Steve Vitkoff,' the U.S. special envoy, which Israel had stated it accepted. This proposal included extending the ceasefire until Passover and Ramadan and a phased release of hostages. According to the same report, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, warned that 'no ceasefire will be accepted without the release of hostages' and emphasized that if Hamas continues to reject this proposal, 'greater consequences' await. Meanwhile, the 'Kan' network reported that Israel believes the humanitarian aid that has reached Gaza in recent weeks will be sufficient to meet Hamas's needs for several months. This comes as humanitarian groups have warned about the humanitarian crisis in the region. According to official Israeli statistics, armed groups in the Gaza Strip still hold 59 hostages, of whom 35 have been killed. As tensions continue and routes for sending aid to Gaza are blocked, concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation and increased conflicts have intensified. The Gaza war, which began on October 7, 2023, following terrorist attacks by Palestinian groups supported by the Islamic Republic, has so far resulted in thousands of deaths. During the October 2023 terrorist attacks, Palestinian groups killed at least 1,200 citizens, most of whom were civilians, and took over 250 people hostage. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza to destroy Hamas and free all kidnapped hostages. The war in Gaza has caused the displacement of a large portion of the region's population.