‘Last-minute crisis’ with Hamas delaying Israeli approval of Gaza ceasefire – National

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a “last-minute crisis” is possible Hamas had stopped Israeli approval of a long awaited ceasefire that would pause the fight in the Gaza Strip and releases dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes have since killed at least 72 people in the conflict-torn area.

Netanyahu signaled there were problems with the deal shortly after US President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete. That created a double reality: Conflict-weary Palestinians in Gaza, the relatives of hostages held there and world leaders all welcomed an agreement, expected to start Sunday, even if Netanyahu said that it was not yet finalized.

It was not yet clear if Netanyahu’s statements merely reflected jockeying to keep his fractious coalition together or if the deal was in jeopardy.

The Israeli cabinet was expected to vote on the deal on Thursday, but Netanyahu’s office said they would not meet until Hamas returned, accusing it of destroying parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions without to expand.

Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the militant group is “committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”

The agreement announced Wednesday would see a number of hostages held in Gaza released and a pause in fighting aimed at finally ending a 15-month conflict that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked global protests.

Hamas started the conflict with its October 7, 2023, cross-border attack in Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children are more than half of those killed. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The military campaign has also leveled large swathes of Gaza, and has driven approximately 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people from their homes. Hundreds of thousands struggle with hunger and disease in filthy tent camps on the coast, according to United Nations officials.

Netanyahu’s office has previously accused Hamas of reneging on an understanding it said Israel would veto over which prisoners convicted of murder would be released in exchange for hostages.

The Israeli prime minister is facing huge domestic pressure to bring home the dozens of hostages, but his far-right coalition partners have threatened to topple his government if he makes too many concessions. He has enough opposition support to approve an agreement even without those partners, but that would weaken his coalition.

One of his far-right allies, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, has already come out against the deal. Another, Bezalel Smotrich, posted on X late Wednesday that he demanded “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the war later, calling the current deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel.

The departure of both of their factions would seriously destabilize the government and could lead to early elections.

Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people celebrated the ceasefire agreement. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.

“We expected the occupation to intensify the bombing, as they did every time there were reports of progress in the ceasefire (negotiations),” said Mohammed Mahdi, who fled his home a few months ago and is sheltering in Gaza City.

Ahmed Mattar, who lives near the city’s Al-Ahly hospital, said he heard “massive airstrikes” overnight.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire was announced. It said the toll from Thursday’s strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the actual toll is likely to be higher.

“Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier,” said Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration department.

An Associated Press reporter on the Israeli side of the border near Gaza heard more airstrikes and artillery fire Thursday.

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Under the agreement reached Wednesday, 33 of about 100 hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces will withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to what is left of their homes, and there would be an increase in humanitarian assistance.

The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second – and much more difficult – phase which will be negotiated in the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining prisoners without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to fight on until it dismantles the group and maintains open-ended security control over the territory.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are expected to meet in Cairo on Thursday for talks on implementing the agreement, which came after a year of intense talks with repeated setbacks.

US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy joined the talks in recent weeks, and both the outgoing administration and Trump’s team are taking credit for the breakthrough.

Many longer-term questions about post-conflict Gaza remain, including who will govern the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.

Israel has come under heavy international criticism, including from its closest ally, the United States, over the civilian toll in Gaza. It also blames Hamas for the civilian casualties, accusing it of using schools, hospitals and residential areas for military purposes.

Hamas, a militant group that does not accept the existence of Israel, has come under overwhelming pressure from Israeli military operations, including the invasion of the largest towns and cities of Gaza and the takeover of the border between Gaza and Egypt. Its top leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to have helped mastermind the October 7, 2023 attack, have been killed.

But its fighters have regrouped in some of the hardest-hit areas following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, raising the prospect of a longer insurgency as the conflict continues.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press reporter Sam McNeil in southern Israel contributed.