From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Knesset bill to cut off aid to Gaza fails
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
A bill to halt all essential services to the Gaza Strip — including electricity, water, fuel, and humanitarian aid — failed to pass in the Knesset today, receiving only 10 votes in favor.
The bill was introduced by opposition MK Yulia Malinovsky of the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu party and supported by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party. It aimed to stop all supplies to Gaza as a pressure tactic amid ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas. Supporters said continuing aid only benefits Hamas and called for a full cutoff until the hostages are released.
“Gaza is Hamas,” Malinovsky said during her speech at the plenum, adding that despite Israel’s repeated military operations in the Strip, Hamas keeps re-emerging because essential supplies such as food continue to reach it.
Opponents of the bill argued the move would deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and damage Israel’s international standing during ongoing talks to release the remaining hostages.
The Times of Israel Community.