Benjamin Netanyahu issues warning ahead of Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country is ready to restart the war against Hamas should they negotiate a second phase of the ceasefire.

In a televised speech hours before it began on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed that the ceasefire was “temporary” and that Israel had the right to resume operations in Gaza – and was supported by US President-elect Donald Trump to do so.

Netanyahu also described what he called Israel’s military successes over the past 15 months – including the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

“We changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said, before adding that Hamas was now “on its own”.

The ceasefire will begin at 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT).

Before his speech on Saturday, Netanyahu said Israel would not implement the deal until it received a list of hostages to be released by Hamas.

“Israel will not allow violations of the agreement,” he said.

A long list of 33 hostages due to release by Hamas has already been published by Israeli media but not confirmed by the authorities.

But Israeli authorities said they had not yet received the names of the three hostages to be released on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to attack what it says are Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza – more than 120 people have been killed since the announcement on Wednesday, Hamas officials said.

In the next few weeks, 33 hostages are expected to be released in exchange for 1,890 Palestinian prisoners. Under the deal, Israel will begin withdrawing its troops from Gaza.

The place where the first hostages will be delivered is not known. An Israeli military official said three reception centers had been set up near the border in northern, central, and southern Gaza.

Earlier, a source close to Hamas told AFP that the first three hostages to be released would be women.

Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire should begin on Day 16 of the first phase and will focus on achieving “an end to hostilities”.

The details of the second phase of the deal are still unclear but the hope is that the remaining, including men, will be released at the same time as many Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are released.

There has also been a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. It is also understood that Hamas police – who are not armed unless absolutely necessary – have directed the return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes in northern Gaza.

The third and final phase will involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something that will take years – and the return of the remaining bodies of the captives.

Friday night, The Israeli government approved a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages after hours of negotiations.

Two far-right cabinet ministers voted against it, including Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The drawn-out agreement is also causing concern and division among the families of the hostages. Some fear that family members will be left behind in Gaza after the first phase.

On Saturday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to demand that the government ensure the release of some hostages following the first phase of the ceasefire.

Gal Alkalay, a member of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, told Reuters: “We could have saved the lives of 200 soldiers and more than 10 hostages.” He added that people have died needlessly because the government “couldn’t make a decision and wait for Trump”.

Earlier on Saturday, several people were injured in a stabbing attack near a restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israeli police said. The terrorist was allegedly shot and killed by a civilian.

The suspect came to Tel Aviv “illegally” from Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media said.

There has been no relief for the Palestinians under Gaza since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday night.

The Palestinian health ministry says 123 people – including many women and children – have been killed in the strike since then.

On Saturday, the Gaza-based humanitarian organization Hamas said at least five members of a family were killed when an airstrike hit their camp in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, AFP reports.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military said it had struck 100 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters who were part of several “terrorist” strikes in Gaza, according to Reuters.

The Israeli army launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which has been declared a terrorist group by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented attack on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were captured. .

At least 46,899 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Hamas’ health ministry. Many of the 2.3 million people have also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter as a result of efforts to get aid to those in need.