Israeli fire killed at least two people in Rafah and wounded three others in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza, raising fears among Palestinians that the ceasefire could collapse altogether after Israel imposed a total blockade on the shattered enclave.
A first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began in January ended over the weekend with no agreement on what will happen next.
Hamas says an agreed second phase must now begin, leading to a permanent Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war. Israel has instead offered a temporary extension into April, with Hamas to release more hostages in return for Palestinian detainees, without immediate talks on Gaza’s future.
Later yesterday, Hamas official Osama Hamdan said Israel’s demand to extend the first phase of the ceasefire was pushing things back to “square zero”.
“The mediators and guarantors bear full responsibility for preventing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu from sabotaging all efforts made to reach the agreement and for protecting the agreement from collapsing,” Hamdan told a news conference.
Two Israeli government officials said mediators had asked Israel for a few more days to resolve the standoff.
“Israel has negotiated in good faith since the beginning of this administration to ensure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about the aid blockade and ceasefire standoff.
“We will support their decision on next steps given Hamas has indicated it’s no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire,” Hughes said.
Israel raised the stakes on Sunday by imposing a total blockade on all supplies, including food and fuel, meant to sustain the 2.3 million Gazans living among the ruins after the 15-month conflict.
Hundreds of lorries carrying supplies were backed up in Egypt and denied permission to enter. Gaza residents said shops had been swiftly emptied of all supplies and the price of a sack of flour had more than doubled overnight.
“Where will our food come from?” asked Salah Al Hajj Hassan, a resident in Jabalia, on Gaza’s northern edge where families have returned to destroyed homes to live in the rubble. “We are dying, and we don’t want war or the alarm bells of displacement or the alarm bells of starving our children.”
Residents said Israeli tanks stationed near the eastern and southern borders of Gaza intensified gunfire and tank shelling into the outskirts throughout the night.
Top stories for today:
Kingdom pioneering weather forecasting
Bahrain ‘is committed to achieving growth goals’
87 violators deported in crackdown
&uuid=(email))