United Nations — 

The U.N. children’s agency warned Monday that Israel’s decision to stop allowing the entry of all humanitarian aid except water into the Gaza Strip will quickly lead to “devastating consequences for children and families” who are struggling to survive.

“The aid restrictions announced yesterday will severely compromise lifesaving operations for civilians,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. “It is imperative that the ceasefire — a critical lifeline for children — remains in place, and that aid is allowed to flow freely so we can continue to scale up the humanitarian response.”

The first phase of the ceasefire expired Saturday, and Israel and U.S.-designated terror group Hamas have been at odds about what the second phase will look like.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witcoff had proposed extending the ceasefire until April 20 — which would encompass both the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday. During that period, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the rest once a deal is reach on a permanent ceasefire.

“I accepted this plan. But so far, Hamas has rejected it,” Netanyahu said in his video message.

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He then said his government would stop allowing goods and supplies into Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing them and preventing Palestinians from accessing them.

“It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians — and this we cannot accept,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “We will take further steps if Hamas continues to hold our hostages. And throughout this, Israel knows that America and President Trump have our back.”

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in response to reporters’ questions Monday that his colleagues on that ground have not reported such incidents.

“What we have seen since the ceasefire is a much freer and more direct flow of aid, and we have not seen any of the looting that we had seen prior to the ceasefire,” he said.

Dujarric noted that since Sunday, three major crossing points for aid trucks into Gaza have been closed and already the price of flour and vegetables have increased more than a hundred-fold.

Aid organizations have criticized Israel’s decision to stop the aid.

“Humanitarian aid is not a privilege — it is a right,” said Angelita Caredda, Norwegian Refugee Council’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. “People in Gaza are already facing desperate conditions. With food supplies running out, hospitals unable to function, and families struggling to find clean water, any restrictions on aid will push the civilian population beyond collapse.”

“Israel’s decision, to block aid to over two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as Ramadan begins, is a reckless act of collective punishment, explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” British charity Oxfam said in a statement. “The government of Israel, as [the] occupying power has the responsibility to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach the population in Gaza.”

The families of hostages held by Hamas have also expressed concern that the ceasefire is in jeopardy and their loved ones are running out of time.

Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, thanked President Donald Trump for his role in getting dozens of hostages freed since taking office.

“Your powerful demands for all hostages to be released gave us something we have been desperate for — hope. Now, we need you to finish this,” he said in a video statement Sunday. “President Trump, bring us a better deal, a safer deal. No stages, no phases. One deal to bring everyone home."

Hamas is believed to be holding 59 hostages, of whom 35 are still believed to be alive.

During the first phase of the expected three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that ran from January 19 until Saturday, Israel allowed humanitarians to scale up aid deliveries to Gaza. International hunger experts had warned that without urgent assistance parts of the enclave were on the verge of famine after more than a year of war.

The United States, along with Qatar and Egypt, have been the mediators of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Cairo and Doha both protested Israel’s decision to halt aid to Gaza, accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.

On Tuesday, Arab League members will convene an emergency summit in Cairo to discuss the fragile ceasefire and the future of Gaza.

Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this story. Some information in this article came from The Associated Press.