Several Arab nations and the UN have condemned Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling it a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Egypt and Qatar, key mediators, criticised the move, while Saudi Arabia and the UN also expressed concern. Egypt accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon, while Saudi Arabia described the move as “blackmail” and “collective punishment” against Palestinians.
In a statement on Sunday, Qatar’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” the Israeli decision, describing it as “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement” and “international humanitarian law”.
The Egyptian foreign ministry went on to accuse Israel of using starvation as “a weapon against the Palestinian people”, according to AFP.
Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, expressed its “condemnation and denunciation” of the Israeli aid blockade, the foreign ministry said.
A Hamas spokesperson described Israel’s blockade as “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” against the ceasefire agreement.
UN under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, also raised concern over Israel’s move. “International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid,” he said.
Israel defended the decision, saying that it decided to act “because Hamas steals the supplies and prevents the people of Gaza from getting them”.
“It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians, and this we cannot accept,” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Hamas has consistently denied accusations of stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza. Meanwhile, negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire have begun, but progress remains minimal.
Phase two of the ceasefire aims for a permanent truce, the release of all remaining living hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Phase three would involve the return of deceased hostages’ bodies and Gaza’s reconstruction.
Hamas refuses to extend the ceasefire without guarantees that phase two will proceed.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid to Gaza strengthens the war crimes case against Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The decision by the far-right government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to block all humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza during Ramadan is a clear war crime and is further evidence of Israel’s genocidal intent,” the Washington, DC-based organisation said.
“Israel’s renewed cruel and illegal campaign of forced starvation adds more evidence to the International Criminal Court’s genocide case against Israeli officials.”
