Israel Approves US-Backed Ceasefire in Gaza for Ramadan

Ceasefire in Gaza for Ramadan: Israel said on Sunday it has stopped the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas agrees to a US-backed extension of the ceasefire deal, after phase one of the deal expired on Saturday.

“Israel has endorsed a US proposal to temporarily extend the truce in Gaza as a bridging measure after the first phase of its ceasefire with Hamas drew to a close," the Israeli PMO said.

The first phase of a truce deal mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US expired on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Hamas was refusing to accept a temporary extension proposed by Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff.

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A Hamas spokesman said blocking supplies to Gaza was "cheap blackmail" and a "coup" on the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to intervene.

The ceasefire deal halted 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said: "With the end of Phase 1 of the hostage deal, and in light of Hamas's refusal to accept the Witkoff outline for continuing talks - to which Israel agreed - Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease.

"Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences."

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The Hamas spokesman said: "Netanyahu's decision to stop aid going into Gaza once again shows the ugly face of the Israeli occupation... The international community must apply pressure on the Israeli government to stop starving our people."

"Humanitarian assistance has to continue to flow into Gaza. It's very essential. And we are calling all parties to make sure that they reach a solution," Antoine Renard from the World Food Programme (WFP) told the BBC.

Also on Sunday, medics said four people had been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. The Israeli military said it had attacked people who were planting an explosive device in the north of the territory.

There are believed to be 24 hostages alive, with another 39 presumed to be dead.

Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.

Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

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