Israel blocks all aid into Palestine and puts new conditions on a permanent ceasefire threatening to restart the war
Israel wants to “suffocate the people of Gaza” with its violations of the ceasefire.
The terror state blocked aid into the besieged territory, put new conditions on a permanent ceasefire and threatened to restart the war on Sunday.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, “Israel has decided to stop letting goods and supplies into Gaza”.
He claimed Palestinian resistance group Hamas “uses these supplies to finance its terror machine” to justify the violations of an already fragile ceasefire.
Alaa Salamah, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza, told Socialist Worker, “Israel is threatening and targeting people, closing borders and refusing to let in any aid. These restrictions are to suffocate the people in Gaza.”
After Israel blocked aid, food prices in Gaza immediately doubled.
The second phase of the negotiations was supposed to begin last Saturday and would have seen the release of all hostages and discussions for a permanent ceasefire. But Israel has reneged on that agreement and is pushing a new proposal for its own benefit.
Israel is trying to implement a new framework agreed with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff.
It avoids any negotiations over a permanent ceasefire and instead supports a temporary ceasefire through the Ramadan and Passover religious holidays until 20 April. And it would see Hamas release half of all hostages immediately and the rest in April.
Alaa said, “I think Israel is trying to put pressure on Hamas without committing to the next phase of the ceasefire.
“Israel just wants all of its captives back without any commitment.”
Hamas has slammed the new proposal as “cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack”.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar admitted as much when he said that Israel is ready for the second phase of the agreement—but “not for free”.
White House security spokesperson Brian Hughes subsequently claimed that “Hamas has indicated it’s no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire”.
In reality, Hamas wants to stick to the original agreement—and Israel is pushing new terms for its own benefit.
Amid the new proposal, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has signed off over £3 billion of arms to Israel. He invoked “emergency authorities” and bypassed congress to send Israel over 35,000 2,000-pound bombs.
Meanwhile, Israel is ramping up destruction in the West Bank, displacing over 40,000 people since the ceasefire in Gaza began.
But Netanyahu is determined to finish the genocide in Gaza—and he knows he has the backing of Donald Trump and the US.
Far right minister Bezalel Smotrich said the block of aid was “an important step in the right direction”. He described the move as the “threshold of the gates of hell”. “Now we need to open those gates as quickly and lethally as possible on the cruel enemy, until absolute victory,” he said.
In Britain—which continues to supply arms to Israel—it’s vital to keep fighting to stop all arms sales to the terror state.