Several Arab nations and the United Nations have condemned Israel for halting all humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.
Egypt and Qatar criticised the move on Sunday, stating that it violated an existing ceasefire agreement. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called the blockade “alarming.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the decision, claiming that Hamas was diverting aid supplies to fund its operations. He also accused the Palestinian group of rejecting a U.S.-backed proposal to extend the ceasefire, which expired on Saturday. Israel said it had accepted the proposal.
A Hamas spokesperson denounced Israel’s actions as “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” against the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire, which lasted 15 months, had facilitated the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday strongly condemning Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid, calling it “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement” and “international humanitarian law.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry also criticised the move, accusing Israel of using starvation as “a weapon against the Palestinian people,” according to AFP. Both Qatar and Egypt played key roles in mediating the ceasefire agreement.
Saudi Arabia joined the condemnation, with its foreign ministry denouncing Israel’s aid blockade.
Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stressed the importance of humanitarian access, posting on X: “International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the decision, claiming Hamas was stealing aid and using it to fund its operations against Israel. “It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians, and this we cannot accept,” he stated.
Hamas has denied allegations of diverting humanitarian aid. Netanyahu also accused the group of rejecting a US-backed proposal by President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to extend the ceasefire.
