Tehran, IRNA – The United States has expressed support for Israel’s move to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza, after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Palestinian resistance movement Hamas came to an end and the Tel Aviv regime refused to engage in talks on the second phase.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes claimed in a statement on Sunday that Israel has negotiated “in good faith” since the beginning of the Donald Trump administration to ensure the release of all Israeli prisoners, The Hill reported.
“We will support their decision on next steps given Hamas has indicated it’s no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire,” he added.
The Israeli regime halted the entry of much-needed humanitarian supplies into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip early Sunday, after declaring that it was ditching talks on the three-phased deal and, rather, accepted a U.S. plan for extending the first phase of the truce for the Ramadan and Passover periods.
Hamas slammed the move as a “cheap blackmail, a war crime and a coup” against the ceasefire agreement.
Israel cuts power to Gaza desalination plants
Meanwhile, the municipality of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza announced on Monday that Israel had cut off power to the city’s two desalination plants.
The two plants provide approximately 70% of the water supply of the residents of the Deir al-Balah area, the municipality said, according to Al Jazeera.
It added that the plants produce about 20,000 cubic meters (4,400,000 gallons) of desalinated water daily.
Earlier, Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed the decision to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza as an “important step in the right direction.”
He also said that the next step in the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza will be cutting off the electricity and water and “opening the gates of hell on Gaza with a powerful, deadly and quick attack.”
Hamas denounces blockade as ‘crime against humanity’
In a statement late on Monday, Hamas said that Israel’s continued closure of Gaza’s crossings and the prevention of humanitarian aid and various goods from entering the enclave constitute a “crime against humanity” and a “blatant violation of international law.”
According to the Shehab news agency, Hamas said that blocking the entry of food, medicine, and essential supplies is a “futile attempt” to force the steadfast people of Gaza into submission.
The Israeli regime also seeks to impose catastrophic conditions on more than two million Palestinians, which is in clear contradiction with all human values and international laws, it said.
The statement further noted that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s move to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza lays bare his disregard for international laws and treaties, adding that his impunity for such crimes stems from the unlimited political support of the U.S. government.
Hamas official: Israel’s threats ‘do not scare us’
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri also said that the occupying regime’s threats to cut off supplies to the Gaza Strip “do not scare us and are worthless.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, Abu Zuhri said, “Netanyahu aims to blow up the agreement and push for new negotiations. We will not accept this.”
Israel, he continued, will not be able to receive its prisoners except through a deal and Hamas will not respond to pressure and dictates.
Hamas and Israel announced the three-phase ceasefire deal on January 15, following U.N.-endorsed indirect negotiations between the two sides. The ceasefire took effect four days later.
The Palestinian resistance movement has repeatedly said that it remains committed to the negotiations for the second phase of the deal, asserting that Israel has “no choice” but to engage in the talks.
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