Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his cabinet would not convene as planned to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement, attributing the delay to what he termed a “last-minute crisis” caused by Hamas.
The cabinet meeting, initially scheduled for Thursday morning, was intended to ratify the ceasefire set to begin on Sunday.
Netanyahu’s statement read,“Hamas is reneging on parts of the deal made with mediators and Israel in a bid to extract last-minute concessions. The cabinet will not convene until the mediators inform Israel that Hamas has agreed to all the terms of the agreement.”
In response, senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq stated that the Palestinian group remained committed to the ceasefire agreement brokered by mediators on Wednesday.
Israel’s broadcaster Kan suggested that one of the reasons for the delay could be the hesitation of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had yet to inform Netanyahu whether his party would withdraw from the government in protest over the proposed deal.
Earlier, several Israeli families, along with their supporters, gathered outside Netanyahu’s office to protest the prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.
Yehoshua Shani, the father of Captain Uri Shani, who was killed in the conflict, voiced strong opposition, saying, “Do not sign a deal that means surrender, sacrificing the remaining kidnapped and giving up Israel’s security.” He added, “Come here before the cabinet meeting, and join us to ask the prime minister to stop and not sign a surrender deal with Hamas.”
Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, pointed out that no indications were suggesting that Hamas had backtracked on the terms of the ceasefire deal. “What we are seeing rather is the internal conflict within Netanyahu’s government, specifically among the Religious Zionist Party,” Salhut noted.
“This is Smotrich’s party. He has been threatening to bolt the coalition if this deal came to a vote, saying this was a bad deal for Israel and that his party would need guarantees that Israel will go back to all-out fighting… after the initial phase [of the agreement].”
Netanyahu faces mounting domestic pressure to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, yet his far-right coalition partners have warned they will dismantle his government if he makes too many compromises.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified their bombardment of Gaza, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting that at least 81 people have been killed and 200 wounded in the past 24 hours.
In one airstrike, two people were killed and six injured when Israeli forces targeted a school sheltering displaced individuals in the al-Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City, according to Civil Defence.
Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 46,788 Palestinians and left 110,453 others wounded.
(AL JAZEERA)
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Netanyahu leaves hospital bed to pass decisive bill, returns hours later
