ISTANBUL

Palestine warned on Sunday of “catastrophic consequences” from an Israeli decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid into the war-torn Gaza Strip, calling for pressure on Tel Aviv to ensure a “sustained” flow of aid.

The Israeli government stopped the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Sunday, just hours after the expiry of the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the Israeli decision will have “catastrophic consequences amid worsening humanitarian conditions, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.”

The ministry strongly condemned “the politicization of aid and its use as a tool of blackmail.”

“Such actions only deepen the suffering of over two million Palestinians already enduring genocide and displacement,” it added.

The ministry called on the international community to “take responsibility and pressure Israel into allowing a sustained flow of aid into Gaza and prevent Tel Aviv from weaponizing hunger to advance its political agenda.”

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas denounced the aid cutoff as "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on Jan. 19, officially ended at midnight on Saturday. However, Israel has not agreed to move forward to the second phase of the deal to bring an end to the war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to extend the initial exchange phase to secure the release of as many Israeli captives as possible without offering anything in return or fulfilling the military and humanitarian obligations of the agreement.

Hamas has refused to proceed under these conditions, insisting that Israel abide by the terms of the ceasefire and immediately start negotiations for the second phase, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete halt to the war.

The ceasefire agreement has halted Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,380 victims, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.