Israel announced the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza after the first stage of the ceasefire and hostage agreement ended. A statement from Hamas described the decision as “cheap blackmail and a blow to the agreement”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to take further steps if Hamas did not accept the conditions presented and did not release Israeli prisoners.

Netanyahu, in a statement from his account, expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump, saying, “President Trump, Israel’s greatest friend in the White House, shows this friendship every day.” Netanyahu claimed that Trump demonstrated this friendship by displacing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and sending the weapons Israel wanted, suggesting that Trump helped Israel by sending ammunition to end the situation in Iran and exerting pressure on Hamas to release prisoners. Netanyahu defended the “50-day extension of the temporary ceasefire” plan proposed by Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff as a way to discuss the conditions for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. According to this plan, half of the Israeli prisoners remaining in the Gaza Strip would be released immediately, with the rest released if an agreement on a permanent ceasefire is reached. Netanyahu stated that Israel accepted this plan, while Hamas rejected it, claiming that Hamas put forward proposals that were unacceptable for a permanent ceasefire.

“WE WILL TAKE FURTHER STEPS” Netanyahu recalled that Israel had stopped the entry of humanitarian aid materials to Gaza and claimed that these materials had not reached the people of Gaza. He threatened to take further steps if Hamas continued to hold Israeli prisoners, stating that the US and President Trump would support Israel in this matter.

HAMAS REJECTED ISRAEL’S ACCEPTED PLAN Hamas stated that it would abide by the signed ceasefire agreement and that the negotiations should move on to the second stage as previously discussed. Following the end of the first stage of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza, Israel, hinting at renewed attacks on Gaza, approved a decision to authorize the Israeli army to call up 400,000 reserve soldiers by May 29.

ISRAEL HAD SUSPENDED HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERIES TO GAZA The 42-day first stage of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza ended yesterday. The negotiations for the second stage of the agreement were supposed to start on February 3. The Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu hindered the start of the negotiations for the second stage. Israel had announced the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza after the end of the first stage of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. Hamas had reacted to Israel’s suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, arguing that it was a clear violation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.