The first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip ended at dawn on Sunday without the commencement of negotiations for the second phase, which was supposed to begin on 3 February. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the halt of all goods and supplies into Gaza starting Sunday morning, citing Hamas's rejection of a temporary truce proposal for Ramadan put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff. In response, Hamas denounced Netanyahu's decision as "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant violation of the agreement." The movement called on international mediators to pressure Israel to end its punitive and immoral actions against over two million civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu's office released a statement early Sunday, confirming that Israel had accepted the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire during Ramadan in exchange for the release of half of the living and deceased hostages on the first day of the agreement. However, it added that Hamas had rejected the proposal. Egypt condemned Israel's move, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stating that the use of aid as a weapon of collective punishment and starvation in Gaza is unacceptable. He also announced that a comprehensive Gaza reconstruction plan had been completed and would be presented for approval at the emergency Arab summit on Tuesday. This development comes as US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to visit Israel at the end of next week, following US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation. The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which began on 19 January, was structured into three 42-day phases. However, the agreement stipulated that negotiations for the next phase must begin before the current phase ends, a process Netanyahu has delayed. During the first phase, 33 Israeli hostages—including eight bodies—were released in exchange for 1,755 Palestinian prisoners. The Islamic Jihad Movement accused Netanyahu of "reversing the ceasefire agreement" and held him responsible for the consequences of his actions. The government media office in Gaza described Israel's decision to block aid as "further proof of its failure to uphold its commitments and its deliberate starvation of Gaza's population." The office highlighted that Gaza's economy has entirely collapsed, leaving its people completely dependent on humanitarian aid after the total shutdown of all industries and production sectors due to the ongoing Israeli offensive.
