Israel rejects 2nd phase of Gaza cease-fire, admits use of starvation tactics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected advancing to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, acknowledging his use of starvation tactics against the territory’s population to pressure the Palestinian group Hamas.

The Israeli government early Sunday halted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, hours after the expiry of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he held a security discussion Saturday night with Defense Minister Israel Katz, coalition party leaders, security officials, and his negotiation team.

“At the end of the discussion, we decided on the following steps: Israel will adopt the plan proposed by President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire during (the Muslim month of) Ramadan and (the Jewish holiday of) Passover. We are fully coordinating with President (Donald) Trump and his team,” Netanyahu said.

He said Witkoff proposed the plan after it was concluding that there was no immediate prospect of bridging the gap between Israel and Hamas on the second phase of the Gaza deal.

He said more time was needed to reach a possible agreement, describing his proposal as a “pathway for negotiations” on the next stage.

Contradicting Netanyahu’s position, Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel expressed his support for advancing to the second phase of the prisoner swap and ceasefire agreement.

“I support the second phase; there is no greater commandment than redeeming prisoners,” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Arbel as saying during a conference in Eilat in southern Israel.

Israel’s starvation tool

Netanyahu openly admitted the use of starvation as a tool against Hamas, saying: “I want to make one thing clear: There will be no free meals.”

“If Hamas believes it can extend the ceasefire or benefit from the conditions of the first phase without us recovering our hostages, it is gravely mistaken,” he said.

Netanyahu claimed that based on Israeli intelligence, Hamas currently holds 59 Israeli captives, with up to 24 believed to be alive and at least 35 dead.

“We will not abandon any of them, and we are determined to bring them all home,” he said.

The Israeli premier said under Witkoff’s proposal, half of the hostages would be released on the first day of the plan. If an agreement is reached, the remaining captives would be freed at the end of the process.

“Under the original agreement, Israel can resume fighting after 42 days if negotiations prove ineffective. This clause was supported by a side letter from the previous U.S. administration and has now received backing from the Trump administration,” Netanyahu claimed.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of rejecting the proposal, claiming that “If Hamas changes its stance, Israel will immediately enter negotiations to implement the plan.”

“If Hamas continues to entrench its position and refuses to release our captives, there will be additional consequences, which I will not elaborate on here,” he threatened.

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.