TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) 鈥� Israel faced sharp criticism as it of all food and other supplies into Gaza on Sunday and warned of 鈥渁dditional consequences鈥� for if a isn't extended.
Mediators Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of violating humanitarian law by using starvation as a weapon.
The ceasefire's first phase saw a surge in humanitarian aid after months of . Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail Sunday hours after its first phase had ended and called Israel's decision to cut off aid 鈥渁 war crime and a blatant attack鈥� on a truce that took a year of negotiations before taking hold in January.
In the second phase, Hamas would release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. Negotiations on the second phase were meant to start a month ago but haven't begun.
Israel backs a new proposal to speed up the release of hostages
Israel said Sunday that a new U.S. proposal calls for extending the ceasefire through Ramadan 鈥� that began over the weekend 鈥� and , which ends April 20.
Under that proposal, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the rest when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, said. The militants currently hold 59 hostages, 35 of them believed to be dead.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the United States would support whatever decision Israel makes, without commenting on the new proposal. Netanyahu said Israel is fully coordinated with the Trump administration and the ceasefire will only continue as long as Hamas keeps releasing hostages.
The UN and others warn against aid cutoff
Saying the ceasefire has saved countless lives, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that 鈥渁ny unraveling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair.鈥�
U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Israel鈥檚 decision 鈥渁larming," noting that international humanitarian law makes clear that aid access must be allowed.
U.N. Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres urged all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza, and called for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages, said spokesman St茅phane Dujarric.
Five non-governmental groups asked Israel鈥檚 Supreme Court for an interim order barring the state from preventing aid from entering Gaza, claiming the move violates Israel鈥檚 obligations under international law: 鈥淭hese obligations cannot be condition on political considerations.鈥�
The war has left most of Gaza鈥檚 population of over 2 million dependent on international aid. About 600 aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts.
But residents said prices shot up as word of the closure spread.
From Jabaliya urban refugee camp, Fayza Nassar said the closure would worsen dire conditions.
鈥淭here will be famine and chaos,鈥� she said.
Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the ceasefire agreement would have 鈥渉umanitarian consequences鈥� for the hostages. The only way to free them is through the existing deal, the group said.
Families of hostages again pressed Israel's government.
鈥淧ostponing the negotiation on the deal for everyone鈥檚 (release) can鈥檛 happen," Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, said in Tel Aviv. 鈥淗ostages don鈥檛 have time to wait for an ideal deal.鈥�
Israel was accused of blocking aid throughout the war
Israel imposed a siege on Gaza in the war鈥檚 opening days and only eased it under U.S. pressure. U.N. agencies and aid groups accused Israel of during 15 months of war.
The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used 鈥渟tarvation as a method of warfare鈥� when it issued last year. The allegation is also central to South Africa鈥檚 case at the International Court of Justice .
Israel has denied the accusations. It says it has allowed in enough aid and blamed shortages on what it called the U.N.鈥檚 inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid 鈥� an allegation that Netanyahu repeated Sunday.
Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, said Israel as an occupying power has an 鈥渁bsolute duty鈥� to facilitate humanitarian aid under the Geneva Conventions, and called Israel鈥檚 decision 鈥渁 resumption of the war-crime starvation strategy鈥� that led to the ICC warrant.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage.
Israel鈥檚 offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry. It says more than half of those killed were women and children. It does not specify how many of the dead were combatants.
Israeli bombardment pounded large areas of Gaza to rubble and displaced some 90% of the population.
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This story has been corrected to show that 35 of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead, not 32.
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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.
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Tia Goldenberg And Samy Magdy, The Associated Press
