Netanyahu Puts off Approval of Ceasefire Deal, Rebukes Hamas for ‘Backtracking’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this Thursday that his cabinet would not move forward with the scheduled approval of a ceasefire agreement for Gaza. He accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal, which had been announced just one day earlier by mediators from Qatar and the United States. Netanyahu claimed that Hamas was attempting to secure additional concessions at the last minute.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office explained, “Hamas has reneged on elements of the agreement with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions. The Israeli cabinet will only convene once the mediators confirm that Hamas has accepted all the terms of the agreement.”

In response, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, insisted that the resistance movement remains committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced on Wednesday. Despite these assurances, tensions within Israel’s political leadership have added further complications to the deal’s implementation.

According to Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) and other media outlets, Netanyahu has postponed formal approval of the deal due to internal political unrest. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reportedly threatened to leave the governing coalition in protest of the agreement. Members of his political party are demanding guarantees from Netanyahu that the military campaign in Gaza will continue. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has also voiced his opposition to the ceasefire.

Smotrich took to social media to denounce the agreement, describing it as “dangerous” for Israel’s national security. While acknowledging the importance of securing the return of hostages, he criticized the deal for undermining Israel’s military achievements. “The deal that will be presented to the government is a bad and dangerous deal for the national security of the State of Israel. Alongside the great joy and excitement of the return of every kidnapped man and woman, the deal takes back many achievements of the war in which the heroes of this nation risked their lives and will cost us, God forbid, much blood. We oppose it with all our might,” he stated.

The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, confirmed on 15 January by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and US President Joe Biden, is expected to unfold in three phases. It is set to take effect on Sunday, 19 January, though the exact timing remains unspecified. The Qatari premier emphasized that mechanisms have been established to oversee the implementation of the agreement and address any violations.

Before the announcement, a Palestinian source told Al Mayadeen that Israel had delayed the agreement by failing to provide withdrawal maps for Gaza or details regarding the prisoner exchange process.

Since the ceasefire’s confirmation, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have resulted in significant casualties. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, at least 71 Palestinians have been killed, and over 200 have been injured in the attacks. On Thursday afternoon, an Israeli strike on a school in northern Gaza claimed the lives of at least four people and injured dozens more. The escalating violence has added to the urgency of finalizing and enforcing the agreement.