UN Condemns Israel, Gaza Residents Threatened with Starvation

TEL AVIV, MONDAY — Israel has halted the flow of food supplies, medicines, and other goods intended to enter Gaza. Israel had previously taken such actions at the onset of the war against Hamas to blockade Gaza. This time, Israel is doing so as a means to pressure Hamas into agreeing to an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire, which ended on Sunday afternoon (2/3/2025).

The United Nations and other humanitarian aid agencies have condemned Israel for violating international law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia accused Israel of extortion. The organization Oxfam stated that Israel engaged in reckless acts of collective punishment. Meanwhile, Egypt and Qatar, as primary mediators, accused Israel of using the hunger of Gaza residents as a "weapon."

A few minutes after the first phase of the ceasefire ended, Israel declared its support for the proposal from the United States to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, instead of initiating negotiations for the more challenging second phase.

The extension of the first phase conveyed by the U.S. Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will last until mid-Passover, April 20, 2025. According to the proposal, Hamas will release half of the hostages, with the remainder to be freed once a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached. Hamas is currently holding 59 hostages, 35 of whom are believed to have died.

Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the ceasefire would have humanitarian consequences for the hostages. The only way to free them is through the existing agreement.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has complied with the U.S. proposal. In the second phase of the ceasefire, if agreed upon in negotiations, Hamas will release the remaining hostages alive. In return, Israeli forces must withdraw from Gaza and agree to a lasting ceasefire. Israel has also warned that they may resume the war after the first phase ends if they believe the negotiations are ineffective.

The second phase of negotiations should have been underway a month ago. The delay in this process has raised concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire. Hamas insists that the negotiations continue. Since the first phase came into effect on January 19, 2025, an average of 600 trucks of aid have entered the Gaza Strip per day.

Aid is expected to continue to enter into the third phase. Israel says it has allowed in enough aid. However, the UN has not been able to distribute it well and Hamas has taken the aid that has come in so that aid is still lacking.

For months before the ceasefire, many Palestinians complained of food shortages. Hamas said less than 50 percent of the agreed number of trucks carrying fuel for generators and other needs were allowed in. Live animals and animal feed, essential for food security, were also denied entry. Still, Palestinians in Gaza were able to stockpile sufficient food supplies.

Former Human Rights Watch Chief Kenneth Roth asserted that Israel as an occupying party has an absolute obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid under the Geneva Convention. Israel instead uses the strategy of starvation again and this is a war crime.

Last year, the International Criminal Court said it had two reasons to believe that Israel had used starvation as a method of warfare, and issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

As Israel closes the door to aid access to Gaza, Egypt is ready with a plan for Gaza's reconstruction. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the plan is ready and will be presented at an emergency Arab summit in Cairo on Tuesday (3/4/2025).

Abdelatty said Egypt would seek international support and funding for the plan and stressed Europe’s important role, especially in financing Gaza’s reconstruction. “We will have intensive talks with major donor countries after the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab League summit,” he said.

Arab states quickly rejected US President Donald Trump's plan for the US to take control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians.

Trump's plan, announced on February 4, 2025 amid the ceasefire, moves away from long-standing U.S. Middle East policy focused on a two-state solution. Trump's idea has sparked anger among Palestinians and Arab states.

Abdelatty stressed that Egypt remains committed to continuing the second phase of ceasefire talks as previously agreed. He acknowledged that this process will be difficult, but can be realized if all parties have good intentions and political determination.

After the Arab League meeting, Abdelatty said foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation would hold an urgent meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to convey the Gaza plan. "We will make sure that the results of the Arab summit are conveyed to the world in the best possible way," he said. (REUTERS/AFP/AP)