Israel blocks humanitarian aid into Gaza
OAKLAND, Calif. - In a very dangerous development, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas renews its agreement to a ceasefire.
The delicate ceasefire that had been in effect, resulting in a series of hostage-for-prisoner swaps, which included 33 hostages and eight bodies in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians, expired on Saturday.
The expectation was that the two-month ceasefire would be extended through Ramadan, one of Islam's most important months, where the faithful believe the holy Qur'an was sent down from heaven.
Ramadan coincides with Passover, one of the most important Jewish high holidays, celebrating the Israelites escape from Egypt.
Instead, Israeli leadership has stated that it will not continue the ceasefire, withdraw its troops or allow continued shipments of goods, supplies and services, without the remaining hostages being released as expected.
Hamas claims such demands are blackmail and a war crime.
At this point, unless mediators and envoys can carve out a quick deal, resumed hostilities are likely.
Gaza neighbor Egypt, a key negotiator in the ceasefire process, released a statement condemning Israel's closure of Gaza and accusing it of using "starvation as a weapon.'"
"Obviously, if that allegation is true, that's a major violation of international law…to have Egypt come out and make that allegation, I think, is quite significant," said St. Mary's College Political expert Corey Cook.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also said reconstruction plans for Gaza will ensure that Palestinians can remain in their land. Those plans will be revealed on Tuesday at an Arab emergency summit in Cairo on Tuesday.
That is a direct repudiation of President Trump's announced plans to have the U.S. rebuild Gaza with no plans to allow Palestinians to re-occupy it.
"It roiled the region…some of the United States allies in the region immediately responded and said 'we don't agree with this,' saying 'we still believe in security for the Palestinian people. We still believe in a solution in Gaza that's not based on the United States coming and remaking it in their own image,'" said Cook.
Until there is a durable ceasefire and resolution, no true reconstruction of any kind can even begin.
"The scale of this war has been just unprecedented and extraordinary, and so the amount of rebuilding that will be necessary is immense, and it's going to take, obviously, a multinational effort in the region to do that," said Cook.
Most at risk right now is a wider war involving more nations.
"I can't even comprehend what a wider conflict would look like or what further devastation to that region would look like," Cook said.
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Mohammed Abu Amin, a Khan Younis resident, said he was at the scene of the killings and that crowds were celebrating them, shouting 'God is greatest' and condemning those killed as traitors to the Palestinian cause and agents of Israel. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group, posted a statement online saying they clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the images shared by Sahm were of Abu Shabab fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas and imposed a complete ban on imports of food, fuel, medicine and other aid before easing the blockade in mid-May. The ongoing war and mounting desperation have plunged Gaza into chaos, with armed gangs looting aid convoys and selling the stolen food. The Hamas-run police force has largely gone underground as Israel has repeatedly targeted its forces. The military now controls more than half of the territory. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. They are still holding 53 captives, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel's offensive has flattened large areas of Gaza and driven around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians from their homes. The territory is almost completely reliant on humanitarian aid because nearly all of its food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at
