Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday that the Gaza ceasefire deal is on hold as he accused Hamas of “reneging” on key aspects of the agreement.
The cease-fire brokered with the help of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, was expected to mark a significant turning point in the 15-month-long conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The Israeli Cabinet had been set to convene Thursday to finalize the deal, including a hostage-release arrangement.
In a statement issued Thursday, however, Netanyahu’s office said: “Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.”
The statement added that “the Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq, however, rejected Netanyahu’s claims, telling outlets including Al Jazeera and The Times of Israel that the group remains committed to the agreement.
Meanwhile, Israeli commentators are pointing to a high-stakes political standoff as Netanyahu reportedly grapples with securing support for the deal from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to keep his coalition intact and prevent his Religious Zionism party from quitting the government.
Channel 14’s Moti Castel cited a senior political source who revealed that “the main reason for the delay of the convening of the Israeli cabinet (to vote on the deal) is the political fear over Smotrich and Mr. Netanyahu’s desire to get a clear commitment from him that he won’t leave the government.”
Smotrich reportedly insists on maintaining military control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, a demand that has become a sticking point in negotiations.
Despite the progress towards an agreement, set to take effect on Sunday pending approval by the Israeli cabinet, Israeli airstrikes continued to target Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency, 73 people were killed in the strikes overnight, following the announcement of the deal. Among the casualties were 12 residents of a residential block in Gaza City, the health ministry reported. On Thursday the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency announced that strikes had been conducted on 50 targets within the previous 24 hours.
