People run for cover following an Israeli strike that targeted a building in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
The decision to halt aid was approved by Israel’s cabinet following a military recommendation and includes the closure of all border crossings into Gaza, according to Israeli Channel 12. It marks the latest in a series of Israeli violations of the ceasefire, which began on 10 October.
Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the move, calling for a full return to hostilities. “There is no need to resume aid; the war is what must be resumed quickly,” he said.
The wave of airstrikes included attacks on Rafah in the south and Jabalia in the north, targeting what the Israeli military has alleged were militant positions.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has committed 47 documented violations of the ceasefire since it began, killing at least 38 Palestinians and wounding scores more.
The continued Israeli violations came as Al Arabiya news channel reported that a Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya had arrived in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with mediators and Palestinian factions.
Earlier on Sunday, Hamas issued a statement saying it had fully honoured the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which Israel has repeatedly violated by attacking civilians, blocking aid, and desecrating the bodies of the dead.
“We have fully abided by the agreement, and neither the mediators nor the guarantors have presented any evidence of violations or obstruction on our part,” Hamas said in a statement, warning that Israel had breached the agreement “since day one.”
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