Israel Blocks Entry of Humanitarian Aid into Gaza

On the night of March 1 to 2, 2025, Israel decided to block humanitarian aid trucks from entering the Gaza Strip. The move came after the truce, which has ensured a cessation of hostilities for the past six weeks and allowed for the exchange of hostages and prisoners, had stalled.

The decision stems from Hamas’s refusal to accept the plan proposed by US mediator Steve Witkoff. According to the plan, the truce is to last throughout the holy month of Ramadan, that is, until the end of March, and will last until the end of Pesach celebrations on April 20. In return, Hamas was obliged to immediately release half of the hostages, both alive and dead, and hand over the remainder after a final agreement on a permanent ceasefire.

“Israel will not allow a cessation of hostilities without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues to refuse, there will be further consequences,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s headquarters said in a statement. “Due to the completion of the first phase of the hostage release agreement and Hamas’s refusal to accept Steve Witkoff’s proposed plan to continue negotiations, which has been endorsed by Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to suspend the entry of goods and cargo into Gaza as of this morning.”

Hamas, which has called for the intervention of mediators from Egypt and Qatar, says it intends to stick to the original ceasefire agreement, which included a second phase of talks aimed at achieving a sustainable truce. According to the group, “Israel has repeatedly reneged on signed agreements and continues to evade its ceasefire commitments. These constant manipulations do not facilitate the return of the abductees to their families, but instead lead to further suffering and put their lives at risk.”

For Israel, the cessation of humanitarian aid is more of a “symbolic” move, since, according to the Israeli media, cited by the Italian agency ANSA, “enough humanitarian supplies have been delivered to Gaza in recent weeks to sustain the population for four months. Hamas warehouses are overflowing as 25,200 truckloads of humanitarian aid have entered Gaza during the 42 days of the truce.”