In order to push Hamas to agree to an extension that goes against its interests as well as the terms of the agreement that the US, Europe, and Arab countries so eagerly backed, and that Israel and Hamas signed off on in Doha, Netanyahu is now proudly and brazenly cutting off aid from reaching Gaza, during Ramadan no less.

This isn’t the first time Israel has restricted aid to pressure the terror group during the war. Yet it rarely boasted about it.

When Israel was trying to isolate northern Gaza in the final weeks of the Biden administration, sparking a warning letter from secretary of state Antony Blinken and defense secretary Lloyd Austin, Israel denied there was any restriction on aid.

With a mercurial and energetic Trump in the Oval Office, Europe’s reaction to Israeli policies on aid has been very different from what it was under Biden.

On Sunday, the EU chose to condemn Hamas for its refusal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire.

On Israel’s publicly stated intention to keep aid out of Gaza, the EU only warned that the move:
1. “could potentially result in humanitarian consequences,”
2. and avoided directly condemning Israel.

With their own security suddenly more precarious, European leaders are taking pains not to unnecessarily butt heads publicly with Trump, including on Israel.