Hamas says blocking aid to Gaza affects Israeli hostages

Hamas has accused Israel of "committing the war crime of collective punishment" by halting aid to Gaza for a seventh consecutive day, asserting that the move also affects Israeli hostages still held in the enclave.  

On March 9, Israel announced it was blocking aid deliveries to Gaza until Palestinian militants accepted its conditions for extending the ceasefire, which had largely halted more than 15 months of conflict, Caliber.Az reports via Western media.

The initial phase of the truce, which ended on March 1, allowed for the entry of crucial food, shelter, and medical assistance. During this period, Gaza militants released 25 living hostages and eight bodies in exchange for approximately 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.  

Of the 251 people taken captive during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed as deceased.  

While Israel has stated its intention to extend the first phase of the truce until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on moving to the second phase, which aims to establish a permanent end to the war.  

On March 8, Hamas issued a statement accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of "committing the war crime of collective punishment against over two million Palestinian civilians through starvation and the deprivation of basic life necessities for the seventh consecutive day."

"The repercussions of such crime extend beyond our people in Gaza to include the occupation's prisoners (hostages) held by the resistance, who are also affected by the lack of food, medicine and healthcare," the group added.

Hamas further claimed that Netanyahu "bears full responsibility" for the consequences of the aid blockade and accused him of "indifference" toward the hostages still held in Gaza.  

A group of UN human rights experts has also condemned Israel, stating that it is once again "weaponising starvation" in Gaza by preventing the entry of humanitarian aid.  

"As the occupying power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services," the experts said on March 6.

By Khagan Isayev