As the holy month of Ramadan begins, Israel has decided to block all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
This decision is part of an effort to pressure Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, into agreeing to a ceasefire extension.
The move, first reported by the BBC, has escalated tensions as the conflict between Israel and Hamas remains unresolved.
The ceasefire agreement`s first phase officially ended on Saturday, coinciding with the start of Ramadan and the Jewish spring festival.
The United States has proposed extending the ceasefire, a proposal to which Israel has already agreed. However, Hamas has yet to provide a formal response, causing uncertainty around the situation.
According to Al Jazeera, the temporary extension of the ceasefire was suggested by Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
Israel`s Prime Minister`s office has confirmed that the country is open to the extension, but in response to Hamas`s hesitation, Israel has also chosen to block the military aid entering Gaza as part of their strategic pressure on the group.
Hamas, on the other hand, sees this as an attempt to blackmail them.
The group has urged international mediators to intervene, stating that the second phase of the ceasefire should proceed as per the original agreement, which also included prisoner exchanges.
Initially, discussions regarding the second phase of the ceasefire were expected to begin on the 16th day of the first phase.
However, there were delays from Israel in sending their delegation. It wasn’t until last Thursday that Israel sent representatives to Cairo to engage in talks.
Despite sending their representatives, Al Jazeera reports that Israel appears less interested in pursuing the second phase of the ceasefire.
Instead, the country is looking to extend the first phase. Israeli officials, including the delegation in Cairo, are pushing for this extension rather than proceeding to the agreed-upon next steps.
Meanwhile, Hamas has made it clear that they are not interested in extending the first phase any further.
They remain focused on moving forward with the second phase of negotiations as per the original ceasefire deal, which also involves the significant matter of a prisoner exchange.
The situation remains tense, with both sides holding their positions firmly, and the fate of the humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as the future of the ceasefire, hanging in the balance.
As Ramadan progresses, the international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
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