Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that Israel is using humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as a tool of "blackmail and collective punishment."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation and denunciation of the decision of the Israeli occupation government to stop the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and to use it as a tool for blackmail and collective punishment, which is a flagrant violation of international law and a direct violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, in light of the humanitarian catastrophe that the brotherly Palestinian people are facing."

The Kingdom renewed its call to the international community to stop these serious Israeli violations, activate international accountability mechanisms, and ensure sustainable access to aid.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to stop all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, as the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Strip ends, his office said on Sunday.

Netanyahu's office said, "Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our kidnapped soldiers."

He added: "If Hamas continues to refuse to release the kidnapped, there will be other consequences."

Hamas considered Netanyahu's decision to stop the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip as "cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant coup against the Gaza agreement."

A Hamas statement said, "Netanyahu seeks to overturn the signed agreement to serve his narrow domestic political calculations."

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza ended on Saturday, amid uncertainty surrounding the resumption of the agreement, as Israel seeks to extend the first phase while Hamas demands the start of the second phase immediately.