One local activist told NBC News he was glad to see the spotlight on the displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, but also feared being targeted by Israeli settlers and forces. Each morning, the first thing Alaa Hathleen does is anxiously check his WhatsApp messages with a single question on his mind: “Who will be homeless today?” Just over two weeks ago, it was his turn. Early on Feb. 18, Hathleen, 25, was still asleep at his family home in the village of Umm Al-Kheir on the outskirts of Masafer Yatta in the Israeli-occupied West Bank when his mother raced into the room, terrified. Israeli soldiers and excavators were outside, she yelled. Less than half an hour later, they were standing outside their home, watching in horror as an excavator tore through the building, crushing its walls to rubble and snapping its metal roof in half. The Israel Defense Forces said Hathleen's home was "built illegally in a closed military area," and that it was demolished "in accordance with the law." Masafer Yatta’s landscape of rolling hills and small hamlets gained renewed international attention when “No Other Land,” a documentary by Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, and Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist, won an Oscar on Sunday. The film highlighted the violence and abuses committed by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians in Masafer Yatta — but Hathleen said he feared it could “open the gates of hell” for those who lived there, worried that Israeli settlers and forces might increase their attacks in angry retaliation for the film. Hathleen said he believed it was important to highlight the reality Palestinians face in the occupied West Bank, but in the weeks since the documentary was announced as an Academy Award nominee, he said there had been fresh violence in the area, with Amnesty International warning last week that another village nearby was under “imminent threat of forcible transfer.” Hathleen, a physical therapist and activist, now sleeps in a large tent outside his brother’s house with other relatives. They feared rebuilding their home only to have it torn down again by Israeli forces, while the threat of a violent settler attack hangs over him and his family. “It’s so hard, but what should we do?” he said in a phone interview on Thursday. “This is what they want — to kick us out of our land.” Like Hathleen, Mohammad Hureini, the son of prominent activist Hafez Hureini, who has made headlines for his fight to remain in At-Tuwani in Masafer Yatta, said he was glad the documentary was bringing “good attention to the situation.” But, Hureini, 20, an activist and university student studying English literature, added: “It’s not enough to stop what Israel is committing.” Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and forces has soared since the start of the war in Gaza. According to OCHA, the United Nations’ humanitarian aid agency, at least 895 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between Oct. 7, 2023, and March 4 of this year. So far this year, 89 Palestinians in the territory have been killed, with 17 of them children under the age of 19. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six Day War, with Israeli settlers building and expanding Jewish settlements there that have been condemned as illegal under international humanitarian law and counter to U.N. Security Council resolutions, a charge Israel rejects. Masafar Yatta has been a focus of Israeli demolitions since the 1980s, after the Israeli military declared the area a restricted military zone, dubbing it “Firing Zone 918.” A decadeslong legal battle saw the displacement and return of Palestinian families to the area, but that ended in May 2022, when Israel’s High Court of Justice authorized the state to demolish villages in the area and expel its residents. OCHA has called forced evictions resulting from demolitions a “gross violation of human rights,” while human rights organizations including Israel-based Peace Now and B’Tselem have condemned Israel’s mounting destruction of Palestinian homes in the area. “The Israeli government concocts one excuse after the other to expel Palestinians from their land,” Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, told NBC News over WhatsApp on Thursday. Accepting the award for best documentary at the Oscars, Adra, who co-directed “No Other Land,” called on the international community to “take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” Both Hureini and Hathleen expressed fears for the future of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza with the Trump administration’s return to power. As one of his first acts in office, President Donald Trump rescinded U.S. sanctions on far-right settlers accused of violence against Palestinians, and more recently, as he looks to force an end to the war in Gaza, threatened the lives of Palestinians if hostages held by Hamas are not released. NBC News reached out to the White House for comment, but did not receive a response. “We are so worried about Donald Trump because he doesn’t care about the Palestinians,” Hathleen said. “He just cares about Israel.”

The clashes raise concerns about Syria’s stability and interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s ability to reunify the country after 13 years of civil war. At least 400 people have been killed in northwest Syria after days of clashes between government forces and loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad marked the deadliest violence since the fall of Assad three months ago. According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 350 civilians have been killed. The SOHR framed the killings as a collective act of revenge, adding that women and children were executed by firing squad in the countryside near Tartus, an Assad stronghold. NBC News has not independently verified the death toll or methods of execution, and it is currently unclear which groups are involved in the killing of civilians. In addition, SOHR said that some 50 government troops and 45 Assad loyalists have been killed in the fighting. Video posted on social media and verified by NBC News showed the bodies of dozens of men piled on a blood-soaked street in the small town of Latakia, another Assad stronghold on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Women gathered around the bloodied corpses, wailing and clutching the dead. One can be heard sobbing, “My dad, my brother, oh, God.” The victims are reportedly from the Alawite community, the small Islamic sect to which the Assad family belongs. Under Assad, Alawites were appointed to key positions in the military and security forces. NBC News was unable to confirm that the bodies in the video were members of the Alawite community. The SOHR said the vast majority of people killed in the current clashes were from the minority Islamic sect. The clashes erupted last week near the coastal city of Jableh when government forces attempted to detain a wanted person but were ambushed by Assad loyalists, triggering a wave of retaliatory attacks and two days of intense fighting. The coastal stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect has become a major security flashpoint for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he struggles to assert control three months after his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group led the overthrow of Assad. Tensions are especially high in the mountainous coastal region, where government forces are heavily deployed. In a video statement, Sharaa urged armed groups still loyal to the former government to surrender their weapons. He also called on pro-government forces to avoid harming civilians or mistreating prisoners. Despite this appeal, the Syrian Observatory reported Friday that Jableh, the coastal town of Baniyas and several nearby Alawite villages — including Assad’s hometown of Qardaha in the mountains overlooking Latakia — remain under the control of Assad loyalists. The clashes raise concerns about Syria’s stability and Sharaa’s ability to reunify Syria after 13 years of civil war. In February, Sharaa appeared to receive a hero’s welcome during his first visit to Latakia and Tartus. Video showed him waving from a balcony as crowds cheered below. But the recent violence has raised fears that underlying divisions remain unresolved. Western nations continue to watch Sharaa’s rise cautiously, weighing his past ties to jihadist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda against his efforts to present himself as a reformed leader advocating for an inclusive Syria that represents its diverse religious and ethnic communities.

Trump made the threat on Truth Social as his administration engages in talks with Hamas over the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to have members of Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza killed if hostages are not immediately released. "'Shalom Hamas' means Hello and Goodbye — You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you," Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have just met with your former Hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance,” he added. “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!” The White House said in a statement that Trump met Wednesday with eight hostages released from Gaza: Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher and Noa Argamani. The administration is engaging in direct talks with Hamas over the release of U.S. hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday. Trump believes the dialogue is part of a "good-faith effort to do what’s right for the American people," Leavitt said at a White House news briefing. "There are American lives at stake," she added, saying Israel had been consulted. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem responded to Trump's comments, telling Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency "These threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation not to implement its terms." "There is an agreement that was signed and Washington was a mediator in it, which includes the release of all prisoners in 3 stages," Qassem added, "and Hamas has implemented what it was required to do in the first stage, while Israel is evading the second stage." The six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended Saturday with no extension of peace negotiations in sight. It is the first time the United States has held direct talks with the group, which it has designated a terrorist organization. Axios first reported the talks between the United States and Hamas. Asked whether the scope of the talks included Trump's proposal to take over Gaza, Leavitt said she would not go into details and referred questions to the State Department. Initially, the idea for a second phase of a ceasefire included Hamas’ releasing more hostages in return for Israel's withdrawing from the Palestinian territory, with the aim of ending the war. But with no talks continuing, Israel reinstated a halt in the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza after the initial phase of the ceasefire ended. Hamas then accused Israel of violating their agreement by “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.” Israel recently approved a plan from the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, that would have continued the first stage of the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover instead of proceeding to the second phase of peace talks. Witkoff's plan called for the release of half of the remaining hostages, including the bodies of those who have died, on the first day and the remaining hostages once a permanent ceasefire deal is reached, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. But Hamas rejected the proposal, saying it didn't honor the original, multiphased ceasefire agreement. "Unfortunately, these positions by the United States strengthened the position of the Zionist right within the government and pushed for taking punitive steps, including closing the crossings in this manner and using the starvation policy against the people of the Gaza Strip," the group’s spokesman, Hazem Qassem, said in a statement Sunday. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement Sunday that Israel has "negotiated in good faith since the beginning of this administration to ensure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists." Hughes added that the United States will support Israel's decision on next steps "given Hamas has indicated it’s no longer interested in a negotiated ceasefire." On Monday, Netanyahu warned Hamas in remarks before the Knesset, Israel's legislature, that if the group didn't release more hostages, "there will be consequences beyond your imagination. We are preparing for the next stages of the campaign — not everything is visible, and that’s a good thing." The Biden administration announced initial ceasefire in January just days before Trump's inauguration. It required a pause of Israel's military operations in Gaza and the release of both living and dead hostages held there in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said the Egyptian reconstruction plan didn't "address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable." The United States and Israel have rejected a Gaza Strip reconstruction plan that sees the devastated enclave being fully rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, as envisioned under President Donald Trump’s proposal to transform the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East." Under the $53 billion reconstruction plan proposed by Egypt at an emergency summit in Cairo on Tuesday, Gaza, which has been largely destroyed in Israel's nearly year-and-a-half military offensive in the enclave, would be rebuilt over the span of under six years. Artificial intelligence-labelled images, released as part of a version of the plan agreed at a summit that included representatives from across the 22-member Arab League, show modern housing developments and busy city streets, with the document outlining plans for tourist destinations, including resorts. The proposal, which also includes plans for a commercial harbor and an airport, suggests it be funded by a variety of international sources, including the United Nations and international financial organizations, as well as foreign and private sector investments. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the proposal would enable the reconstruction of Gaza while ensuring Palestinians are able to "stay on their land without displacement." The White House swiftly dismissed the plan, with National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes saying late Tuesday that the proposal did not "address the reality that Gaza is current uninhabitable." He said Trump stood by his "vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas," according to Reuters. According to local officials, more than 48,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli shelling and bombing. Most of the population has also been displaced and more than half of the infrastructure destroyed, including hospitals and schools, according to estimate from the United Nations. Trump's proposal for the U.S. to "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East" sparked outrage across the region and around the world last month, with some analysts warning that his plan to see Palestinians at least temporarily and possibly permanently displaced was tantamount to ethnic cleansing. The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry echoed Trump's proposal Tuesday, saying it provided an "opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will." "This should be encouraged," it added. While Israeli officials have repeatedly suggested Trump's plan would give Palestinians in Gaza the ability to leave the enclave freely — something they have not been able to do under Israel and Egypt's nearly two-decade-long blockade on the territory — it has not expanded on whether they would just as easily be able to regain access to the territory. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also condemned the Egyptian proposal's plan for a committee of independent Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza in preparation for the eventual return of the Palestinian Authority, accusing the Fatah-controlled government body of "corruption" and "support for terrorism." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas commended the reconstruction plan in a statement, also thanking Trump for his efforts surrounding the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hamas, which has run the enclave for almost two decades and is a bitter rival of the Palestinian Authority, welcomed the proposal embraced by Arab nations in a statement Tuesday. In Gaza, Palestinians balanced hope with doubt that the plan agreed by Arab nations would be enacted. "We want this suffering to end," Usen Abdul Jawad told NBC News' crew on the ground in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. "We want the rebuilding of Gaza again. Ebrahim Al Khalili, 27, warned that the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where the Muslim majority was marking the month of Ramadan, was becoming "much more dire" after Israel halted the flow of aid and goods. Israel also warned of "further consequences" after Hamas refused to accept its proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Israel launched its offensive following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage, per Israeli tallies, marking a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict. The first phase of the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas in January expired Saturday, with negotiations for the second of three phases stalled for weeks. "Palestinians in Gaza have suffered beyond measures, and the risk of even greater devastation looms," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday.

A senior Iranian defense ministry official told Reuters that Russian missile experts made multiple visits to Iranian missile production sites last year. Several senior Russian missile specialists have visited Iran over the past year as the Islamic Republic has deepened its defense cooperation with Moscow, a Reuters review of travel records and employment data indicates. The seven weapons experts were booked to travel from Moscow to Tehran aboard two flights on April 24 and September 17 last year, according to documents detailing the two group bookings as well as the passenger manifest for the second flight. The booking records include the men’s passport numbers, with six of the seven having the prefix “20.” That denotes a passport used for official state business, issued to government officials on foreign work trips and military personnel stationed abroad, according to an edict published by the Russian government and a document on the Russian foreign ministry’s website. Reuters was unable to determine what the seven were doing in Iran. A senior Iranian defense ministry official said Russian missile experts had made multiple visits to Iranian missile production sites last year, including two underground facilities, with some of the visits taking place in September. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss security matters, didn’t identify the sites. A Western defense official, who monitors Iran’s defense cooperation with Russia and also requested anonymity, said an unspecified number of Russian missile experts visited an Iranian missile base, about 9 miles west of the port of Amirabad on Iran’s Caspian Sea coast, in September. Reuters couldn’t establish if the visitors referred to by the officials included the Russians on the two flights. The seven Russians identified by Reuters all have senior military backgrounds, with two ranked colonel and two lieutenant-colonel, according to a review of Russian databases containing information about citizens’ jobs or places of work, including tax, phone and vehicle records. Two are experts in air-defense missile systems, three specialize in artillery and rocketry, while one has a background in advanced weapons development and another has worked at a missile-testing range, the records showed. Reuters was unable to establish whether all are still working in those roles as the employment data ranged from 2021 to 2024. Their flights to Tehran came at a precarious time for Iran, which found itself drawn into a tit-for-tat battle with arch-foe Israel that saw both sides mount military strikes on each other in April and October. Reuters contacted all the men by phone: five of them denied they had been to Iran, denied they worked for the military or both, while one declined to comment and one hung up. Iran’s defense and foreign ministries declined to comment for this article, as did the public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite force that oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program. The Russian defense ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment. Cooperation between the two countries, whose leaders signed a 20-year military pact in Moscow in January, has already influenced Russia’s war on Ukraine, with large numbers of Iranian-designed Shahed drones deployed on the battlefield. Rockets and artillery The flight booking information for the seven travellers was shown to Reuters by Hooshyaran-e Vatan, a group of activist hackers opposed to the Iranian government. The hackers said the seven were travelling with VIP status. Reuters corroborated the information with the Russian passenger manifest for the September flight, which was provided by a source with access to Russian state databases. The news agency was unable to access a manifest for the earlier flight, so couldn’t verify that the five Russian specialists booked on it actually made the trip. Denis Kalko, 48, and 46-year-old Vadim Malov were among the five Russian weapons experts whose seats were booked as a group on the April flight, the records showed. Kalko worked at the defense ministry’s Academy for Military Anti-Aircraft Defense, tax records for 2021 show. Malov worked for a military unit that trains anti-aircraft missile forces, according to car ownership records for 2024. Andrei Gusev, 45, Alexander Antonov, 43, and Marat Khusainov, 54, were also booked on the April flight. Gusev is a lieutenant-colonel who works as deputy head of the faculty of General Purpose Rockets and Artillery Munitions at the defense ministry’s Penza Artillery Engineering Institute, according to a 2021 news item on the institute’s website. Antonov has worked at the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Defense Ministry, according to car registration records from 2024, while bank data shows Khusainov, a colonel, has worked at the Kapustin Yar missile-testing range. One of the two passengers onboard the second flight to Tehran in September was Sergei Yurchenko, 46, who has also worked at the Rocket and Artillery Directorate, according to undated mobile phone records. His passport number had the prefix “22;” Reuters was unable to determine what that signified though, according to the government edict on passports, it isn’t used for private citizens or diplomats. The other passenger on the September flight was 46-year-old Oleg Fedosov. Residence records give his address as the office of the Directorate of Advanced Inter-Service Research and Special Projects. That is a branch of the defense ministry tasked with developing weapons systems of the future. Fedosov had previously flown from Tehran to Moscow in October 2023, according to Russian border crossing records viewed by Reuters. On that occasion, as he did for the September 2024 flight, Fedosov used his passport reserved for official state business, the records showed.

“It remains to be seen if this will result in charges,” said Khalid Abdalla, who also starred in “United 93” and “The Day of the Jackal.” LONDON — The British actor who played Princess Diana’s love interest in the Netflix series “The Crown” said he had been summoned for questioning by police after he attended a pro-Palestinian rally in central London. Khalid Abdalla, who played Dodi Fayed in the popular show, said in a statement posted to his social media channels that London's Metropolitan Police Service had sent him a letter requesting he attend “a formal interview,” in relation to “the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign protest” Jan. 18. “It remains to be seen if this will result in charges,” added Abdalla, who also starred in “United 93” and “The Day of the Jackal.” He added that the right to protest was “under attack” in the the United Kingdom. Abdalla was among tens of thousands of people who attended the demonstration, which was held the day after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the war in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed the lives of more than 48,000 people, according to health officials in the Palestinian enclave. Israel launched its military campaign after the Hamas terrorist attacks Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw around 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. The Metropolitan Police confirmed to NBC News via email that it had arrested 77 people on suspicion of breaching protest conditions after some of them broke through a police line that day. It added that 21 people had been charged so far. As part of the “ongoing investigation,” the force said it had “invited a further eight people to be interviewed under caution at a police station.” British police typically do not confirm the identity of anyone under investigation. Abdalla, 44, has attended several pro-Palestinian rallies in the past and has publicly called for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Addressing the crowds at the Jan. 18 rally, Abdalla said, “Tomorrow phase one of this ceasefire begins. It remains to be seen if the ceasefire will hold, or if the blood shed since it was announced augurs what it will become.” In February, he was one of the signatories to an open letter written to the BBC by the advocacy group, Artists for Palestine UK, which criticized the broadcaster for pulling a documentary on Gaza’s children. The Palestine Coalition, the activist group that organized the rally, condemned the letter sent to Abdalla in a statement issued Monday, accusing police of carrying out an “apparently coordinated attack against the Palestine solidarity movement.” The force, it said, was “endeavoring to halt public protest on the issue through harassment of those involved in the movement, and through increasingly draconian restrictions on demonstrations.”

The holy month began on Saturday, the same day the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came to an end. Amid the death and destruction left behind by more than a year of war, Palestinians in the Abu Mustafa neighborhood of Khan Younis welcomed the first day of Ramadan early Saturday with a communal suhoor, a predawn meal that begins the daily fast. Ramadan, the most sacred month of the Islamic calendar and a joyous time for Muslims around the world, comes during a time of growing uncertainty this year — following the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with many questioning if there will be a second phase or an extension of the first. On Saturday, colorful lights flickered in celebration of the holy month, which is when Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad over 1,000 years ago. The suhoor, an initiative sponsored by Jordan, had a large turnout that included mostly children. Hundreds sat at a table that seemed to stretch for miles, laden with cheese, vegetables, falafel, olives and bread. Symbolizing resilience and the joyous ambience, messages wishing Gazans a happy Ramadan were drawn on the few remaining walls of destroyed buildings. Young children at the gathering sang a popular Ramadan song by Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi: “Everywhere we walk, there are Ramadan lanterns and decoration in the street. The sound of the adhan [the Islamic call to prayer] pours into the heart, and we pray taraweeh [Ramadan voluntary night prayer] in the mosque.” Aya Abu Mostafa, who attended the suhoor, said that although the gathering was right in front of the rubble of her family home, it made her feel hopeful. “Today we celebrate and feel proud that we are the Palestinian people, who are known for their resilience,” Abu Mostafa told an NBC News crew on the ground. “Today, we celebrate Ramadan, which unites us and provides us with joy and hope. This year, we feel safe during Ramadan, unlike last year, when we were living in fear.” Abu Mostafa said her aspirations for the future are to live in safety, without the buzzing of drones. “We hope to live with pride and joy, like all the children of the world,” she said. Shahed Abu Mustafa, beaming with joy, wishes for the same. “I am very happy that we decorated the neighborhood and that the war ended,” she said. “All the kids are happy and our gathering is very nice. I hope it will always be like this with such an atmosphere.” Hours later, a similar initiative sponsored by Kuwait in the southern Gaza city of Rafah provided fasting Palestinians with 5,000 meals for iftar, a meal in which Muslims break their fast at sunset. Hundreds gathered at a table resembling the mileslong one from the suhoor, breaking their fast with rice and chicken amid the sunset call to prayer. Malaak Fada, who helped organize the iftar, recalled how that street in Rafah looked before the war. “Before the war, this street was crowded with happy people going to the markets,” she said. “Here there was a watercress salesman, over there was a pickles salesman, and over there was a juice salesman. The Ramadan vibes were amazing because all the people had decorated their homes.” Fada said it was this nostalgia that inspired her. “When I saw how the street looked [after the war] and saw how sad the people were, and how everything around us is sad and breaks our hearts, I said, ‘No, we need to bring this street back to life like before the war, and even more,’” she said. Many Gazans remain hopeful for a better future, even as Israel cut off aid to the enclave Sunday in an attempt to pressure Hamas to accept a new ceasefire proposal. Israel faced criticism for the move, including from the foreign minister of Egypt, who accused the country of using “starvation as a weapon." Even so, Mamdouh A'rab Abu Oday says he will not leave Gaza. “Despite what happens to us, we are united and together,” he said. “We tell the entire world that we are together and we will not leave our country.”

The U.N. humanitarian chief called Israel’s decision “alarming,” noting that international humanitarian law makes it clear that aid access must be allowed. Israel faced sharp criticism as it stopped the entry of all food and other supplies into Gaza on Sunday and warned of “additional consequences” for Hamas if a fragile ceasefire isn’t extended. Mediators Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of violating humanitarian law by using starvation as a weapon. The ceasefire’s first phase saw a surge in humanitarian aid after months of growing hunger. Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the next phase Sunday hours after its first phase had ended and called Israel’s decision to cut off aid “a war crime and a blatant attack” on a truce that took a year of negotiations before taking hold in January. In the second phase, Hamas would release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. Negotiations on the second phase were meant to start a month ago but haven’t begun. Israel backs a new proposal to speed up the release of hostages Israel said Sunday that a new U.S. proposal calls for extending the ceasefire through Ramadan — the Muslim holy month that began over the weekend — and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends April 20. Under that proposal, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the rest when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The militants currently hold 59 hostages, 35 of them believed to be dead. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the United States would support whatever decision Israel makes, without commenting on the new proposal. Netanyahu said Israel is fully coordinated with the Trump administration and the ceasefire will only continue as long as Hamas keeps releasing hostages. The U.N. and others warn against aid cutoff Saying the ceasefire has saved countless lives, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that “any unraveling of the forward momentum created over the last six weeks risks plunging people back into despair.” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called Israel’s decision “alarming,” noting that international humanitarian law makes clear that aid access must be allowed. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza and called for humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages, said spokesman St�phane Dujarric. Five non-governmental groups asked Israel’s Supreme Court for an interim order barring the state from preventing aid from entering Gaza, claiming the move violates Israel’s obligations under international law: “These obligations cannot be condition on political considerations.” The war has left most of Gaza’s population of over 2 million dependent on international aid. About 600 aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts. But residents said prices shot up as word of the closure spread. From the heavily destroyed Jabalia urban refugee camp, Fayza Nassar said the closure would worsen dire conditions. “There will be famine and chaos,” she said. Hamas warned that any attempt to delay or cancel the ceasefire agreement would have “humanitarian consequences” for the hostages. The only way to free them is through the existing deal, the group said. Families of hostages again pressed Israel’s government. “Postponing the negotiation on the deal for everyone’s (release) can’t happen,” Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran, said in Tel Aviv. “Hostages don’t have time to wait for an ideal deal.” Israel was accused of blocking aid throughout the war Israel imposed a siege on Gaza in the war’s opening days and only eased it under U.S. pressure. U.N. agencies and aid groups accused Israel of not facilitating enough aid during 15 months of war. The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used “starvation as a method of warfare” when it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last year. The allegation is also central to South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations. It says it has allowed in enough aid and blamed shortages on what it called the U.N.’s inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid — an allegation that Netanyahu repeated Sunday. Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, said Israel as an occupying power has an “absolute duty” to facilitate humanitarian aid under the Geneva Conventions, and called Israel’s decision “a resumption of the war-crime starvation strategy” that led to the ICC warrant. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. Israel’s offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says more than half of those killed were women and children. It does not specify how many of the dead were combatants. Israeli bombardment pounded large areas of Gaza to rubble and displaced some 90% of the population.

Egypt, which helped broker January’s ceasefire deal, condemned Israel’s move, saying it is using “starvation as a weapon.” Israel halted all entry of humanitarian aid and goods into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “further consequences” after Hamas refused to accept its proposal to extend the first phase of the fragile ceasefire deal. This followed a U.S. announcement that it would expedite the delivery of $4 billion in military aid to Israel and reverse a partial arms embargo from the Biden administration. On Sunday morning, thousands of aid trucks were seen piling up at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing after Israel closed its checkpoints into Gaza. The first phase of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire expired Saturday, and negotiations for the second phase, which would ultimately lead to the end of the war, have been stalled for weeks. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement, adding: “If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.” Egypt, which helped broker the original ceasefire deal, condemned Israel’s closure of Gaza, with the foreign minister Badr Abdelatty accusing Israel of using aid “as a weapon of collective punishment and starvation.” Basem Naim, a senior official for Hamas’ political bureau, said Israel was “sabotaging” the existing three-phase ceasefire agreement both sides had signed in January. He condemned Benjamin Netanyahu and the Trump administration for what he called “a blatant coup against the ceasefire deal,” adding that Israel bears “all the responsibility for escalating the situation and for the lives of the people on both sides.” Israel’s announcement came after Netanyahu held an overnight security meeting where Israel adopted a plan by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that proposed extending the first phase of the six-week ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, rather than moving to the second phase of negotiations outlined under the original agreement. Under Witkoff’s proposal, half of the remaining hostages, including the bodies of those who have died, would also be released on the first day, with the remaining released when both sides successfully negotiate a permanent ceasefire, according to Netanyahu’s office. Hamas has refused the proposal, insisting that the ceasefire talks proceed to the second stage, which would see the release of additional hostages and prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and lead to a permanent end to the war. Hamas said Israel’s decision to halt aid amounted to “blackmailing” and urged mediators U.S., Egypt and Qatar to put pressure on Israel to implement humanitarian protocol under the ceasefire. Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on Jan. 19, more than 10,000 aid trucks carrying food, medicine and tents have arrived in Gaza, according to the United Nations’ top aid official, Tom Fletcher. The first phase also halted months of fighting and saw the exchange of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The current war began with the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were captured, according to Israeli officials. Israel’s ensuing military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the local Health Ministry, destroyed much of the enclave and forcibly displaced most of its population of 2.2 million. Israeli far-right lawmakers welcomed Netanyahu’s decision to block aid. “The decision we made last night to completely halt the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza ... is an important step in the right direction — ‘the threshold of the gates of hell,’” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X on Sunday. He then called for the gates of hell to be opened “as quickly and as lethally as possible.” By Sunday morning, Israeli forces had killed at least four people across Gaza, Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, director general of field hospitals, told NBC News. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip — charges Israel rejects. The Biden administration also rejected the arrest warrants, but along with many members of the international community warned of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza after Israel allowed little aid to enter during more than a year of fighting. The International Red Cross, which has acted as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to oversee hostage-prisoner swaps, urged both sides to keep “the forward momentum” of the ceasefire’s last six weeks going. “Every effort must be made to maintain the ceasefire so that lives are spared from hostilities, humanitarian aid enters Gaza, and more families are reunited,” the aid group said in a statement Sunday. The aid closure also extinguished a rare, brief moment of celebration in Gaza, where Palestinians had gathered, often among the rubble, for the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month commemorated with daytime fasts and nighttime feasts. On Friday, 12-year-old Hala Nagy Abou Mostafa expressed hope and relief in an interview with NBC's crew in Gaza. “Last year, during Ramadan, we lived in tents in Rafah. Ramadan last year was very difficult," Hala said. "But we will be happy this year. We will eat Suhoor at our homes in Khan Younis and feel very joyful," she said, referring to the pre-dawn meal before the start of the day's fast. "The difference between Ramadan this year and last year is that there is a truce, and we hope it holds so the war doesn’t return," she added, not knowing then what the coming days would bring.

Israel had sought to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, while Hamas pushed to begin negotiations for a second phase that would ultimately lead to the end of the war. The six-week ceasefire in Gaza expired Saturday, with Hamas accusing Israel of “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.” “There are no negotiations” regarding the second phase, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al-Araby TV on Saturday, adding that Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase “is unacceptable to us." Later on Saturday evening, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will adopt a plan by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that would extend the temporary ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, which conclude at the end of March and on April 20, respectively. Under the proposal, half of the remaining hostages, including bodies of those who have died, would be released on day one of its execution, with the rest released upon successful negotiation of a permanent ceasefire, according to Netanyahu's office. Israel’s move to adopt the plan was made during an overnight security meeting, it said. If a more permanent deal is out of reach on the 42nd day of peace negotiations, Israel can return to fighting, Netanyahu’s office said. That provision, it said, is supported by the Trump administration. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Hamas has yet to accept the proposal and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement from Netanyahu’s office. Separately, Israel has not confirmed the latest developments in its negotiations with Hamas and also did not respond to a request for comment. Israel said it would immediately begin negotiating on the details of the plan if Hamas changes its stance. Talks on the second phase were set to begin weeks ago. In January, during the initial announcement of the agreement, then-President Joe Biden said the ceasefire would continue even after six weeks “as long as the negotiations continue.” The second phase of the ceasefire would have seen the release of additional hostages and prisoners, mark the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and ultimately lead to a permanent end to the war. Hamas has retained 27 hostages who are still alive and more than 30 who are believed to be dead, according to an NBC News tally. The U.S., Egypt and Qatar — the three countries that helped mediate the deal — continue to act as guarantors of the agreement. Amid concerns around the truce, the Pentagon said Friday that the U.S. State Department had approved the potential sale of nearly $3 billion worth of bombs and other weaponry to Israel on an emergency basis. The sale marked the second time the Trump administration declared an emergency to approve weapons sales to Israel since last month. The fragile ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on Jan. 19, halted months of fighting and allowed the exchange of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Under the agreement, Israeli forces were due to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor on Saturday, a provision that has remained a major sticking point in the ceasefire negotiations. Israel earlier said it would not allow Hamas to take over the corridor. “We will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor. We will not allow Hamas murderers to roam our borders again with trucks and rifles, and we will not let them rearm through smuggling,” an Israeli official told NBC News on Thursday, referring to the weapons and other materials that entered Gaza over the Egyptian border. The narrow strip of land that runs along Gaza’s border with Egypt and includes the key Rafah border crossing has also been a lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza — allowing the entry of goods and humanitarian aid in the years before the war. Another major sticking point is Hamas’ continued presence in Gaza. On Thursday, Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told NBC News that the militant group would be willing to cede political and administrative power in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian unity government, but would not disarm until an independent Palestinian state is achieved. Naim added that the group was also preparing for renewed fighting. “If they decide to escalate and to return back to war, we are preparing ourselves for all options,” he said. For now, the situation in the Gaza Strip has remained calm, according to NBC News’ crew on the ground. Footage from Friday captured Palestinians preparing for Ramadan as children gathered in the rubble-filled streets in Khan Younis to watch adults hang decorations and Palestinian flags beside the ruins of destroyed homes. Rehan Hazaam Shorab, a 30-year-old mother of two, made paper lanterns out of cardboard boxes from humanitarian aid packages. “The war has created a psychological state for us. I try to overcome the experiences I lived by working, channeling the negative energy into my work,” she said, adding, “I am worried that the war will resume. It was the worst day of our lives.” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged Israel and Hamas "to exercise maximum restraint and find a way forward on the next phase" of the ceasefire. "As Ramadan — a time of peace and reflection — begins, the Secretary-General calls on all sides to spare no efforts to end all violence," a spokesperson for Guterres said on his behalf. "The United Nations stands ready to support all such endeavours." The Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war saw about 1,200 people killed and 251 captured, according to Israeli officials. Israel’s ensuing military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the local Health Ministry, destroyed much of the enclave, and forcibly displaced most of its population of 2.3 million.