Israel Halts All Aid to Gaza; Egypt Condemns the Move

On Sunday, Israel announced that it has halted the entry of all goods and aid to the Gaza Strip, warning that further consequences await if Hamas does not accept a new ceasefire extension proposal. This decision faced backlash from Egypt, a key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated early Sunday that 'with the end of the first phase of the hostage release deal, and considering Hamas's rejection of the framework proposed by Steve Vitkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs for continued negotiations—while Israel agrees to it—starting today, the entry of goods and equipment into the Gaza Strip will be stopped.' The statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office added that Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of its hostages, and if Hamas continues to refuse, there will be further consequences. The extremist group Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU, reacted to this unexpected Israeli order by stating that this approach 'will starve the residents of Gaza.' Hamas described this action as 'cheap extortion, a war crime, and a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,' and called on mediators to compel Israel to end these punitive measures against Gaza. A Hamas spokesperson told Reuters that the group will not change its position under pressure. The first phase of the ceasefire, which included an increase in humanitarian aid, ended on Saturday. No agreement has yet been reached on the second phase, which involves the release of remaining hostages in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the establishment of a lasting ceasefire. Israel announced its support for extending the first phase of the ceasefire until April 20, coinciding with Ramadan and Passover, a proposal put forth by Steve Vitkoff, the Trump administration's Middle East envoy. In response to Israel's actions, Egypt condemned the move, stating that Israel is using 'hunger as a weapon.' The Egyptian Foreign Minister also called for the immediate implementation of the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The United States and Qatar, other mediators between Israel and Hamas, have not commented on the new developments. During the six weeks of temporary ceasefire, hundreds of trailers carrying various types of aid entered Gaza daily from various crossings, primarily from Rafah. U.S. Secretary of State announced that he signed a directive to expedite the delivery of approximately four billion dollars in military aid to Israel. Israeli media reported that the Trump administration expedited the provision of American weapons to Israel that had been delayed under the previous administration or were suspended by Joe Biden. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State under Trump, stated on Saturday that this administration approved 12 billion dollars in major foreign military sales to Israel. He added that the United States will 'continue to use all available tools to fulfill America's long-standing commitment to Israel's security, including tools to counter security threats.' Rubio mentioned that he used 'emergency powers' to expedite military aid to Israel, its ally in the Middle East. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, the lifting of minor arms sanctions that the Biden administration 'mistakenly' withheld from Israel is further evidence that Israel has no greater ally than Donald Trump in the White House. The Pentagon announced on Friday that the State Department had agreed to the potential sale of approximately three billion dollars in weapons to Israel. According to Haaretz, this is the second major arms sale from the U.S. to Israel in less than a few weeks since Trump's return to the White House. Reuters reported that the Trump administration informed Congress about the emergency arms sales to Israel but did not wait for the normal review process in the foreign relations committees of the House and Senate. Last week, the Trump administration also revoked a directive from Joe Biden that conditioned the sale and use of American weapons by foreign countries on compliance with international law. National Security Memorandum No. 20 under the Biden administration was primarily related to Israel, which was at the height of its military campaign against the extremist group Hamas in Gaza, but according to the Washington Post, Mike Waltz, Donald Trump's National Security Advisor, rescinded that memorandum. The Biden administration criticized the Israeli government for using American weapons in a manner that violates humanitarian laws and 'American moral values.' In response, Marco Rubio accused Joe Biden of imposing conditions on Israel that were politically motivated and baseless. Rubio stated that Israel is 'in a fight for survival on multiple fronts against Iran and proxy groups.' The Trump administration has halted foreign aid to most other countries except for Israel and Egypt in the weeks following its inauguration. Bernie Sanders, an independent senator who is a critic of the current Israeli government, has recently reintroduced a series of proposals in the Senate to prevent arms deliveries to Israel, despite having previously rejected similar requests. Rubio's directive to expedite the delivery of approximately four billion dollars in American weapons to Israel comes at a time when the Israeli army is in a state of war emergency despite shaky ceasefires with Lebanon and Gaza. The Israeli army has reached a ceasefire with Hezbollah, Iran's most significant proxy in the region, and has also passed the six-week mark of the first phase of the ceasefire with the extremist group Hamas in Gaza, but contrary to its commitments in the ceasefire agreement, it did not withdraw from the Philadelphi route. Hamas, which is also classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU, rejected the U.S. and Israel's proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and insisted on the need to enter negotiations for the second phase to permanently end the war. Israeli media reported that the Israeli army has prepared itself to return to war in the Gaza Strip if Hamas continues to insist on not extending the first phase of the ceasefire according to the framework proposed by Steve Vitkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs. Donald Trump has stated that he will support any decision made by Benjamin Netanyahu in this regard. The Israeli army has also prepared for a long-term military presence in parts of Syria that it has occupied following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government. On Saturday, the Israeli army received orders from Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Katz, the Minister of Defense, to be prepared to defend the Druze in southern Syria against any attack, whether from the new Syrian army or other actors. Israel has assessed the increased Turkish presence in Syria as a threat to itself. Additionally, according to Israeli media reports, General Gadi Eisenkot, a leader of the opposition and former Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, stated on March 11 that March is 'decisive' for his country. He did not elaborate further, but according to Channel 12 of Israeli television, he made this statement in relation to Iran.