Israel Cuts Off Gaza Supplies After Hamas Refuses to Accept Cease-Fire Framework

The terror group continues to hold an estimated 25 Israeli hostages.

Israeli forces drive on a destroyed road in the Nur Shams camp for Palestinian refugees near Tulkarem, after reportedly issuing demolition notifications for several houses amid a weeks-long offensive in the West Bank, on Feb. 26, 2025. Zain Jaafar /AFP via Getty Images

Israel has stopped the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip after the Hamas terrorist group rejected a cease-fire framework proposed by the country.

On Jan. 19, a six-week cease-fire began between Israel and Hamas under which the terror group released 25 hostages and eight bodies. In exchange, Israel released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The first phase of the cease-fire ended on March 1. On that day, Hamas said it rejected Israel’s proposal for extending the first phase.

“With the conclusion of the 1st stage of the hostages deal and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for the continuation of the talks, to which Israel agreed, PM Netanyahu decided: as of this morning, entry of all goods & supplies to the Gaza Strip be halted,” the Israeli prime minister’s office wrote in a March 2 post on social media platform X.

“Israel will not allow a cease-fire without a release of our hostages. If Hamas persists in its refusal, there will be additional consequences.”

Hamas is estimated to hold another 25 hostages and the bodies of 30 individuals.

The “Witkoff framework” referred to a proposal put forward by U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff for a temporary cease-fire during Ramadan and the Jewish Passover. Ramadan is expected to end on March 30, and Passover on April 20.

Under the proposal, Hamas is expected to return half of all living and deceased hostages on the first day of the framework. If a permanent cease-fire agreement is reached, Hamas must release the remaining hostages and bodies.

“While Israel has agreed to the Witkoff framework in order to return our hostages, Hamas has, until now, clung to its rejection of this framework. If Hamas changes its position, Israel will immediately enter into negotiations on the overall details of the Witkoff framework,” the prime minister said.

“Steve Witkoff proposed the framework on extending the cease-fire after gaining the impression that, at present, there was no possibility of bridging between the positions of the sides on ending the war, and that additional time was required for talks on a permanent cease-fire.”

Negotiating Cease-Fire

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel is prepared to negotiate over the next phase but more hostages must be freed during the talks. He said Israel had received a side letter from the Biden administration saying there was no automatic transition between the phases of the truce.

“We fulfilled all our commitments [under Phase 1] until the very last day, which was yesterday,” Saar said at a press conference. “Our position is that during negotiations, hostages should be released.”

Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the cease-fire agreement would have “humanitarian consequences” for the hostages and reiterated that the only way to free them was through implementing the existing deal, which did not specify a timeline for freeing the remaining captives.

Hamas has said it is willing to free the hostages all at once in Phase Two, but only in return for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a permanent cease-fire, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Israel is hesitant to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, its buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza. The country was supposed to cut down its presence in the corridor during the first phase of the cease-fire and remove itself completely in the second phase.

However, an Israeli official said this week that the country will remain in the area in order to prevent Hamas from smuggling arms into Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations against Palestinian terror groups. It is expelling inhabitants from refugee camps in Samaria, located in the northern area of the West Bank, as part of the effort.

Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to expand operations in the refugee camps of Nur al-Shams, Jenin, and Tulkarem. On Feb. 23, the IDF sent tanks into the West Bank, the first time this has happened in over two decades.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to the report.