Saturday, 18 January, 2025
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured on Thursday that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will commence as scheduled on Sunday, despite negotiators needing to resolve a "loose end" at the last minute.
Israel had postponed a cabinet meeting to ratify the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, citing the militant group’s delay as the cause. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued to hit Gaza, with Palestinian authorities reporting 77 casualties on the day following the announcement of the truce.
Hamas senior official Izzat el-Reshiq reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire deal, which aims to halt 15 months of ongoing conflict starting on Sunday.
"It's not exactly surprising that in a process and negotiation that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end," Blinken told a news conference in Washington. "We're tying up that loose end as we speak."
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the last remaining dispute was over the identities of some prisoners Hamas wanted released.
President Joe Biden's envoy Brett McGurk and President-elect Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff were both in Doha with Egyptian and Qatari mediators working to resolve the issue, which should be cleared up soon, the official said.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters that Israeli negotiators were in Doha to reach a solution, reports Reuters.
The complex ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US to stop the war that began with deadly Hamas attacks on Israel and saw Israeli forces kill tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastate Gaza.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
The ceasefire agreement sets the stage for a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, where most of the population has been displaced, facing dire conditions of hunger, illness, and cold. Aid trucks are waiting in the Egyptian border town of El-Arish, ready to cross into Gaza as soon as the border reopens.
The peace deal could also have far-reaching effects across the Middle East, potentially averting a larger conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as reducing disruptions to global trade caused by the Houthi movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Israel's acceptance of the ceasefire will not be official until approved by the security cabinet and government. Though a vote was scheduled for Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed it, accusing Hamas of making last-minute demands.
"The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement," Netanyahu’s office stated.
While hardliners in Netanyahu's government are still trying to block the deal, a majority of ministers are expected to support it. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s party has stated that its support for the deal hinges on a return to fighting after the first phase of the truce. Far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has also threatened to resign.
In Jerusalem, some Israelis protested the ceasefire, marching with mock coffins, blocking roads, and clashing with police.
Calls for Faster Implementation
Palestinians who celebrated the ceasefire announcement are eager for the bombings to end as soon as possible. "We lose homes every hour. We demand for this joy not to go away, the joy that was drawn on our faces - don't waste it by delaying the implementation of the truce until Sunday," said Gazan resident Mahmoud Abu Wardeh.
The day after the ceasefire announcement saw some of the heaviest Israeli bombardment in months. Gaza's health ministry reported at least 81 people killed and around 188 injured in the past 24 hours, with 77 fatalities occurring since the ceasefire announcement. The Israeli military said it was investigating these reports.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and taking over 250 hostages.
If successful, the ceasefire would halt the fighting that has devastated Gaza, killed more than 46,000 people, and displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million residents, according to Gaza authorities.
The first phase of the truce would see the release of 33 hostages from the 98 still held in Gaza, both alive and deceased. In exchange, Israel would release approximately 1,000 Palestinian detainees.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured on Thursday that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will commence as scheduled on Sunday, despite negotiators needing to resolve a "loose end" at the last minute.
Israel had postponed a cabinet meeting to ratify the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, citing the militant group’s delay as the cause. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued to hit Gaza, with Palestinian authorities reporting 77 casualties on the day following the announcement of the truce.
Hamas senior official Izzat el-Reshiq reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire deal, which aims to halt 15 months of ongoing conflict starting on Sunday.
"It's not exactly surprising that in a process and negotiation that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end," Blinken told a news conference in Washington. "We're tying up that loose end as we speak."
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the last remaining dispute was over the identities of some prisoners Hamas wanted released.
President Joe Biden's envoy Brett McGurk and President-elect Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff were both in Doha with Egyptian and Qatari mediators working to resolve the issue, which should be cleared up soon, the official said.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters that Israeli negotiators were in Doha to reach a solution, reports Reuters.
The complex ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US to stop the war that began with deadly Hamas attacks on Israel and saw Israeli forces kill tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastate Gaza.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.
The ceasefire agreement sets the stage for a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, where most of the population has been displaced, facing dire conditions of hunger, illness, and cold. Aid trucks are waiting in the Egyptian border town of El-Arish, ready to cross into Gaza as soon as the border reopens.
The peace deal could also have far-reaching effects across the Middle East, potentially averting a larger conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as reducing disruptions to global trade caused by the Houthi movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Israel's acceptance of the ceasefire will not be official until approved by the security cabinet and government. Though a vote was scheduled for Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed it, accusing Hamas of making last-minute demands.
"The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement," Netanyahu’s office stated.
While hardliners in Netanyahu's government are still trying to block the deal, a majority of ministers are expected to support it. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s party has stated that its support for the deal hinges on a return to fighting after the first phase of the truce. Far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has also threatened to resign.
In Jerusalem, some Israelis protested the ceasefire, marching with mock coffins, blocking roads, and clashing with police.
Calls for Faster Implementation
Palestinians who celebrated the ceasefire announcement are eager for the bombings to end as soon as possible. "We lose homes every hour. We demand for this joy not to go away, the joy that was drawn on our faces - don't waste it by delaying the implementation of the truce until Sunday," said Gazan resident Mahmoud Abu Wardeh.
The day after the ceasefire announcement saw some of the heaviest Israeli bombardment in months. Gaza's health ministry reported at least 81 people killed and around 188 injured in the past 24 hours, with 77 fatalities occurring since the ceasefire announcement. The Israeli military said it was investigating these reports.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and taking over 250 hostages.
If successful, the ceasefire would halt the fighting that has devastated Gaza, killed more than 46,000 people, and displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million residents, according to Gaza authorities.
The first phase of the truce would see the release of 33 hostages from the 98 still held in Gaza, both alive and deceased. In exchange, Israel would release approximately 1,000 Palestinian detainees.
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