Rabat – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Saturday that his country “reserves the right” to resume its war against Hamas at any time, with continued US support.
In a disappointing and devastating development, Netanyahu made the statement in a televised announcement, saying that “this is only a temporary ceasefire” dependent on Hamas’ actions.
He said that Israel would return to combat with greater force if necessary and that the truce is conditional on Hamas issuing a list of Israeli captives to be released in the initial phase.
The agreement’s temporary nature and Netanyahu’s strong rhetoric suggest continued bloodshed for Gazans, who have already faced 15 long months of genocide.
Netanyahu also said there has been a significant shift in Middle Eastern dynamics, claiming “Hamas now stands defeated and isolated.”
The truce was set to start this morning at 06:30 GMT, but there was a delay until 11:15 a.m. in which Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued to carry out attacks, reportedly killing at least 19 Palestinians across Gaza.
Since the initial agreement was decided on Thursday, over a hundred Palestinians have been murdered.
Netanyahu also expressed his alleged commitment to bring all Israeli hostages back from Gaza, outlining the initial phase of the deal which will secure the release of 33 Israeli captives. In exchange, Israel is supposed to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners over six weeks.
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Domestically, Israel continues to face challenges. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers from his nationalist-religious party have resigned, reportedly over the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Although implementation of the long-sought ceasefire in Gaza is facing hurdles from the Israeli side, Hamas has taken a step forward to initiate the truce.
Hamas spokesperson said in a post on Telegram that three Israeli captives will be released within the framework of the exchange deal. The three are set to be released today, according to plan.
According to both parties, the first exchange should occur no earlier than 2 p.m. GMT today, hours after the truce takes effect. However, this is not expected to be a realized reality on the ground for Gazans, who continue to face imminent threats from the IOF.
Netanyahu took a firm stance on compliance, warning that Israel would not accept any violations of the agreement’s terms.
