Closing summary
Hamas has accused Israel of trying “to collapse” the Gaza ceasefire agreement, with an official saying Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to extend the first phase of the deal was a “blatant attempt” to avoid entering negotiations about the second phase, which envisaged an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said yesterday that it was imposing a blockade on Gaza because Hamas would not accept a plan which it claimed had been put forward by the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to extend phase one of the ceasefire and continue to release hostages.
Egypt and Qatar – both key mediators in the conflict – were among the Arab states that said Israel’s decision violated the ceasefire deal. The Egyptian foreign ministry accused Israel of using starvation as “a weapon against the Palestinian people”. Israel has also been accused of violating international with the Turkish foreign ministry saying its decision to block aid aims to collectively punish Palestinian people in Gaza.
Foreign ministers from several Arab countries have met behind closed doors in Cairo ahead of the critical Arab League summit tomorrow that will focus on alternatives to Donald Trump’s proposal for the effective ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.
Reuters has seen an Egyptian plan that will be presented as an alternative to Trump’s “take over” proposal. It would reportedly sideline Hamas, which would be replaced with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and western states.
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Updated
Turkey’s foreign ministry has condemned Israel’s decision to block all aid going into the Gaza Strip, saying it is a “blatant violation of international law” (see post at 08.54 for more details).
In a post on X, the ministry wrote:
We condemn Israel’s decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Israeli government’s denial of the Palestinian people’s access to essential supplies constitutes a blatant violation of international law.
This decision, which aims to collectively punish the Palestinian people, also jeopardizes the efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
The international community must take immediate action to secure unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure that Israel fulfils its obligations.
