ISTANBUL, March 2 — The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to “take responsibility and pressure Israel into allowing a sustained flow of aid into Gaza and prevent Tel Aviv from weaponising hunger to advance its political agenda.”
According to Anadolu Ajansi, the statement on Sunday came after Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave, just hours after the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal expired.
The ministry warned that the Israeli decision would have “catastrophic consequences amid worsening humanitarian conditions, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.”
It strongly condemned “the politicisation of aid and its use as a tool of blackmail”, stressing that such actions further deepen the suffering of over two million Palestinians already facing genocide and displacement.
The Palestinian group Hamas denounced the aid cutoff as "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19, officially ended at midnight on March 2. However, Israel has refused to advance to the second phase of the deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to prolong the initial exchange phase to secure the release of more Israeli captives without fulfilling the military and humanitarian obligations of the agreement.
Hamas has rejected these conditions, insisting that Israel abide by the ceasefire terms and immediately begin negotiations for the next phase, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete halt to the war.
The ceasefire agreement had temporarily paused Israel’s military assault, which has killed over 48,380 people, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
— Bernama
