While the United States says the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip should begin on Sunday as planned, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself in a difficult position as his right-wing partners in the government oppose the agreement.
Israel yesterday postponed a cabinet meeting to ratify a ceasefire with Hamas, blaming the militant group for the stalemate, even as Israeli jets continued to bomb Gaza.
A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rashiq, said the group remained committed to the ceasefire agreement, which is set to end 15 months of bloodshed starting Sunday.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said yesterday that he expects the ceasefire to begin on Sunday despite the need for negotiators to work out “remaining details” at the last minute. An Israeli official told CNN that a cabinet meeting to approve the agreement is scheduled for today.
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the last remaining question was about the identities of some prisoners whose release Hamas is seeking.
A complex ceasefire agreement was reached on Wednesday, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, aimed at ending a war that began with deadly Hamas attacks on Israel, during which Israeli forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza.
The agreement calls for an initial six-week ceasefire with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Hostages taken by Hamas will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The deal also paves the way for a significant influx of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where most of the population is displaced and facing hunger, disease and cold. Lines of aid trucks are waiting in the Egyptian border town of El-Arish to cross the border as soon as it opens.
A peace deal could bring broader benefits to the Middle East, from preventing war between Israel and Iran to ending disruptions in global trade caused by attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Israel's acceptance of the agreement will not be official until it is approved by the security cabinet and the government, Reuters points out.
The hard-line in Netanyahu's government is still trying to stop the agreement, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's party has set a condition for remaining in the government, a return to combat operations after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire after 42 days. Otherwise, the party has announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition.
"It is astonishing that the prime minister - a magician, a master of political strategy - has clearly misjudged the situation," said Aron David Miller
If Netanyahu accepts this condition and the information becomes public, the agreement could collapse before it enters into force, which would cause dissatisfaction with incoming US President Donald Trump, who took credit for the agreement, according to CNN.
Far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also threatened to leave the government.
This would mean that Netanyahu would lose his majority in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. However, this would not necessarily lead to the fall of his government, as opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party said that he would provide the prime minister with temporary support in parliament “for an agreed period of time.” This would mean that Lapid would have political leverage over Netanyahu, keeping his government under constant pressure, with the ability to topple it and call elections whenever he chose.
"It's astonishing that the prime minister - a magician, a master of political strategy - has clearly misjudged the situation," Aaron David Miller, a veteran American negotiator, told CNN.
In Jerusalem, some Israelis marched through the streets carrying makeshift coffins to protest the ceasefire, blocking roads and clashing with police.
On the other hand, the Palestinians, who joyfully welcomed the announcement of the agreement, desperately want the bombing to stop as soon as possible.
"We are losing our homes every hour. We demand that this joy not disappear, the joy that has appeared on our faces - do not ruin it by postponing the ceasefire until Sunday," Gaza resident Mahmoud Abu Warde told Reuters.
The day after the ceasefire was announced was marked by the most intense Israeli bombardment in months. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 24 people had been killed and around 81 injured in the past 188 hours. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Services said at least 77 people had been killed since the ceasefire was announced.
An Israeli military spokesman said the reports were being verified.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after armed Hamas members stormed Israeli communities near the border on October 7, 2023, killing 1.200 soldiers and civilians and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
If successful, the ceasefire would end fighting that has devastated much of Gaza, killed more than 46.000 people and displaced most of the pre-war population of 2,3 million, according to Gaza authorities.
The first phase of the ceasefire envisages the release of 33 hostages out of a total of about 98 still held in Gaza - dead or alive. Israel would free about 1.000 Palestinian prisoners.
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