Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his security cabinet on Friday that he received “guarantees” from negotiators about American backing of Israel returning to war if future talks with Hamas break down, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
“There are guarantees from the Americans that if Hamas sabotages a certain stage of the deal, Israel can resume fighting,” the source cited Netanyahu as telling his ministers.
By day 16 of the 42-day ceasefire agreed to in Qatar, negotiators are expected to begin talks on phase two of the deal, which would see the release of all remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
“During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to phase two, which is a permanent end of the war,” US President Joe Biden said at the White House on Wednesday.
Remember: Israel’s Religious Zionism party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has pledged to withdraw from the government if Israel does not return to war in Gaza after the 42-day first phase of the ceasefire. Together with the potential resignation of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, that would be enough to break Netanyahu’s governing coalition. Israel’s opposition has said it would protect the ceasefire by voting with the government if needed.
Hamas says Israel is trying to thwart Gaza deal through “deliberate intensification” of bombings
Hamas has accused Israel of unleashing “horrific massacres” in Gaza to “thwart” a ceasefire agreement in the enclave, which was announced on Wednesday and is expected to come into effect on Sunday.
The Palestinian militant group said Israel had launched a “deliberate intensification” of aerial attacks after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced in the Qatari capital Doha this week.
At least 111 Palestinians have been killed – including 28 children and 31 women – since the deal was announced, Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said on Friday. More than 264 people have been injured, Basal added.
Israel is “deliberately committing these massacres in its quest to thwart the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas said in a statement Friday, calling on mediators to pressure Israel to “stop the massacres.”
Israeli forces have launched heavy and intense bombardment in central and northern Gaza over the past day. The Israeli military said on Thursday it “conducted strikes on approximately 50 terror targets across the Gaza Strip.” Thursday marked the highest daily death toll in Gaza in 11 days.
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