Gaza ceasefire faces delay after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his cabinet meeting to approve the deal due to Hamas’s alleged last-minute crisis. The ceasefire deal mediated earlier this week was planned to begin on Sunday.
Netanyahu claimed Hamas backtracked on parts of the agreement, calling it an attempt to extract further concessions. In a statement, Netanyahu said, “The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
However, Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq reaffirmed the group’s commitment to a ceasefire. The Gaza ceasefire delay has sparked criticism and protests. Several Israeli families alongside supporters gathered outside Netanyahu’s office, urging him to reject the deal.
A father named Yehoshua Shani said, “Do not sign a deal that means surrender, sacrificing the remaining kidnapped and giving up Israel’s security,” his son was killed during the fighting. Protesters argued that the prisoner exchange component of the deal amounted to a surrender.
Tensions with Netanyahu’s coalition also threaten the ceasefire agreement. Far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reportedly not confirmed his party’s stance, potentially jeopardizing the government’s stability.
Smotrich has warned he might withdraw from the coalition if the deal proceeds, claiming it compromises Israel’s security. His religious Zionist party insists on guarantees of resuming military operations after the agreement’s initial phase.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified attacks on Gaza, killing at least 73 Palestinians since the ceasefire was announced. Gaza Civil Defense reported that 61 of the deaths occurred in Gaza City, including 19 children and 24 women. Israeli airstrikes also targeted a school in al-Zeitoun, killing two and injuring six displaced individuals.
The Gaza ceasefire faces delay; the conflict has claimed over 46,707 Palestinian lives since October 2023. Despite these political tensions, mediators have denied any indication that Hamas has reneged on the deal.
