Sun Mar 02 20:42:00 UTC 2025: ## Israel Halts Gaza Aid, Sparking International Outcry
**Tel Aviv, March 3, 2025** – Israel’s decision to halt all humanitarian aid to Gaza has drawn sharp international condemnation, with accusations of using starvation as a weapon. The move, implemented on March 2nd, came as negotiations stalled on extending a fragile ceasefire reached in January after a year of intense conflict.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which saw a surge in aid following months of hunger, expired on March 1st. Israel’s proposal for a second phase, involving the release of remaining Hamas hostages in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, has yet to commence. Instead, Israel has stopped all food and supplies, citing Hamas’s failure to accept a new U.S.-brokered proposal to extend the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover. This proposal calls for a phased release of hostages.
Egypt’s foreign minister called Israel’s action a “flagrant violation of humanitarian law,” while Saudi Arabia denounced it as “extortion.” Hamas accused Israel of a “war crime,” alleging the move aims to derail the ceasefire. International organizations like the ICRC and the UN voiced alarm, highlighting the potential for widespread suffering and a return to the dire conditions that prevailed before the ceasefire.
The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, stated that international law mandates aid access. Medical charity MSF condemned Israel’s use of aid as a bargaining chip. Although Israel claims to be fully coordinated with the Trump administration, the U.S. has yet to comment officially.
The conflict, which began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack on Israel, has left over 2 million Gazans dependent on international aid. Hundreds of aid trucks had been entering Gaza daily since the January ceasefire, but the closure has already led to soaring prices. Residents of Gaza fear widespread famine and chaos as a result. Hamas has warned that any disruption to the ceasefire agreement will have “humanitarian consequences” for the hostages.
Israel, meanwhile, denies accusations of using starvation as a weapon, blaming shortages on the UN’s distribution capabilities and alleging Hamas siphons off aid. However, Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, asserts that Israel, as an occupying power, has a duty to facilitate aid under the Geneva Conventions. The International Criminal Court previously issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over similar allegations.
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