By TIA GOLDENBERG, WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY, Related Press
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Thursday {that a} “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that will pause the preventing within the Gaza Strip and launch dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, in the meantime, killed no less than 72 individuals within the war-ravaged territory.
Netanyahu signaled there have been points with the deal shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar introduced it was full. That created a twin actuality: Struggle-weary Palestinians in Gaza, the kin of hostages held there and world leaders all welcomed an settlement, anticipated to start Sunday, at the same time as Netanyahu mentioned it was not but finalized.
It was not but clear if Netanyahu’s statements merely mirrored jockeying to maintain his fractious coalition collectively or whether or not the deal was in danger.
The Israeli Cupboard was anticipated to vote on the deal Thursday, however Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned they gained’t meet till Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on components of the settlement in an try to realize additional concessions, with out elaborating.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, mentioned the militant group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”
The deal introduced Wednesday would see scores of hostages held in Gaza launched and a pause in preventing with a view to ultimately wind down a 15-month warfare that has destabilized the Center East and sparked worldwide protests.
Hamas triggered the warfare with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border terrorist assault into Israel that killed some 1,200 individuals and took 250 others hostage.
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the USA, Canada and the European Union.
Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, in accordance with native well being officers, who don’t distinguish between civilians and militants however say girls and youngsters make up greater than half of these killed. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, with out offering proof.
The navy marketing campaign has additionally leveled huge swaths of Gaza, and pushed round 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million individuals from their houses. A whole bunch of hundreds are struggling with starvation and illness in squalid tent camps on the coast, in accordance with United Nations officers.
Netanyahu faces heavy inside stress
Netanyahu’s workplace earlier accused Hamas of backtracking on an understanding that he mentioned would give Israel a veto over which prisoners convicted of homicide can be launched in change for hostages.
FILE – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press convention on the Authorities Press workplace in Jerusalem, Sept. 4, 2024. (Abir Sultan/Pool through AP, File)
The Israeli prime minister has confronted nice home stress to convey residence the scores of hostages, however his far-right coalition companions have threatened to convey down his authorities if he makes too many concessions. He has sufficient opposition assist to approve an settlement even with out these companions, however doing so would weaken his coalition.
One among his far-right allies, Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, has already come out in opposition to the deal. One other, Bezalel Smotrich, posted on X late Wednesday that he was demanding “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the warfare later, calling the present deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel.
The departure of each of their factions would severely destabilize the federal government and will result in early elections.
An evening of heavy Israeli strikes
Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment in a single day as individuals had been celebrating the ceasefire deal. In earlier conflicts, each side have stepped up navy operations within the last hours earlier than ceasefires as a technique to venture energy.
“We were expecting that the occupation would intensify the bombing, like they did every time there were reports on progress in the truce (negotiations),” mentioned Mohammed Mahdi, who fled his residence a number of months in the past and is sheltering in Gaza Metropolis.
Israeli military APCs are shifting alongside the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photograph/Tsafrir Abayov)
Ahmed Mattar, who lives close to the town’s Al-Ahly hospital, mentioned he heard “massive airstrikes” in a single day.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry mentioned Israeli strikes have killed no less than 72 individuals for the reason that ceasefire deal was introduced. It mentioned the toll from Thursday’s strikes solely consists of our bodies introduced to 2 hospitals in Gaza Metropolis, and that the precise toll is probably going greater.
“Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier,” mentioned Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration division.
An Related Press reporter on the Israeli facet of the border close to Gaza heard extra airstrikes and artillery hearth on Thursday.
A phased withdrawal and hostage launch with potential pitfalls
Beneath the deal reached Wednesday, 33 of some 100 hostages who stay in Gaza are set to be launched over the following six weeks in change for a whole bunch of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces will pull again from many areas, a whole bunch of hundreds of Palestinians would have the ability to return to what’s left of their houses, and there can be a surge of humanitarian help.
The rest of the hostages, together with male troopers, are to be launched in a second — and way more tough — section that will probably be negotiated throughout the first. Hamas has mentioned it is not going to launch the remaining captives with out a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, whereas Israel has vowed to maintain preventing till it dismantles the group and to keep up open-ended safety management over the territory.
Ceasefire leaves questions on Gaza’s future unanswered
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. are anticipated to fulfill in Cairo on Thursday for talks on implementing the settlement, which got here after a 12 months of intensive talks with repeated setbacks.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy joined the talks within the last weeks, and each the outgoing administration and Trump’s crew are taking credit score for the breakthrough.
Many longer-term questions on postwar Gaza stay, together with who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting activity of reconstruction.
Israel has come below heavy worldwide criticism, together with from its closest ally, the USA, over the civilian toll in Gaza. It additionally blames Hamas for the civilian casualties, accusing it of utilizing faculties, hospitals and residential areas for navy functions.
Hamas, a militant group that doesn’t settle for Israel’s existence, has come below overwhelming stress from Israeli navy operations, together with the invasion of Gaza’s largest cities and cities and the takeover of the border between Gaza and Egypt. Its prime leaders, together with Yahya Sinwar, who was believed to have helped mastermind the Oct. 7, 2023, assault, have been killed.
However its fighters have regrouped in among the hardest-hit areas after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, elevating the prospect of a chronic insurgency if the warfare continues.
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip and Magdy from Cairo. Related Press reporter Sam McNeil in southern Israel contributed.
Initially Printed: January 16, 2025 at 7:32 AM EST
