Can Israel’s Netanyahu agree to a cease-fire in Gaza? | Israel-Palestine conflict news

Signs that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may agree to end the Gaza offensive 44,800 people — with thousands more missing and presumed dead in the rubble — may raise hopes for an end to the war.

after He met with Netanyahu This week, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he “understood” that Netanyahu was “willing to make a deal”. So far, it looked like Netanyahu preventing any chance for a truce.

In September, Netanyahu’s 11th-hour protests overturned a cease-fire agreement that was reportedly close to being signed. The documents he used to justify his decision to continue bombing Gaza it was later determined to be a fake by Israeli officials.

Since then, there has been the International Criminal Court (ICC). issued an arrest warrant For both men for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.

On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution He called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and expressed support for the work of UNRWA, which Israel has banned from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

What does the ceasefire mean for people in Gaza?

Everything, especially for those in the north.

Rumors that a cease-fire agreement may be imminent are almost constant among those trapped in the enclave, desperate for an end to the bombardment.

“There have been two, maybe three incidents in the past week where the community around us erupted in cheers, whistles and cheers at rumors of an agreed ceasefire,” said Louise Waterbridge, the UN’s chief emergency officer for relief and affairs. The Agency (UNRWA) informed “Al-Jazeera” about this.

According to UN estimates, the north of Gaza is under complete Israeli siege, and 65,000-75,000 Palestinians remain behind the siege line as the Israeli army prevents aid from reaching them. Israeli forces have separated the northern part of Gaza from the south.

Aid organizations have long warned of famine in Gaza, and many believe it has already engulfed northern Gaza.

Is Netanyahu bowing to international pressure?

This is impossible.

Israel increasingly sees himself as an “opponent” of the international community As it continues its attacks on Syria, it annexes areas of southern Lebanon and additional areas of the occupied Golan Heights in Syria.

Just before the UNGA vote this week, Israel rejected it Objections From the buffer zone under UN control since 1974, to occupying Syrian territory, saying its actions were necessary to “secure” its borders.

Israel also opened fire UN peacekeepers in LebanonHe rejected the demands of the UN It should be withdrawn from the occupied lands of Palestine and claims Any criticism of his actions, including legal proceedings against him at the ICC and the genocide case brought against him in South Africa, is anti-Semitic International Court of Justice (ICJ).

So, why should Netanyahu agree to a cease-fire agreement now?

Because now is a politically favorable time for him, observers say.

So far, Netanyahu has refused a cease-fire, claiming instead that he expects an unspecified “absolute victory,” dismissed as “foolish” by Gallant in August.

However, with The fall of the Syrian regimeIran-backed Netanyahu may see an opportunity.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Netanyahu hailed the fall of regional foe Iran’s “axis of evil” after the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying: “The absolute victory they mock is at hand.”

What is the position of Hamas?

In the last negotiations in Egypt, it is reported that Hamas has reached an agreement on the ability of Israeli soldiers to remain in Gaza. He has previously said that full withdrawal is a non-negotiable part of any ceasefire agreement.

According to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Hamas has now accepted that Israeli soldiers may remain in Gaza “temporarily”.

They will remain in their existing fortified positions along the Philadelphia Corridor, which controls access between Egypt and Gaza, and the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern and southern Gaza, during a 60-day “pause” in fighting.

The newspaper also said that under the prospective deal, Hamas would release 30 vulnerable Israeli prisoners on a list it submitted to Egyptian authorities.

In return, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners and increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly said Israel is blocking aid from entering Gaza, which Israel denies.

Did Netanyahu prolong the war against Gaza for his own ends?

Almost everyone thinks so.

Families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, Netanyahu’s domestic and international allies, and many political opponents have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war in Gaza to evade responsibility.

as corruption charges Netanyahu’s arraignment in Tel Aviv, as well as any investigation into the alleged October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed 1,139 people and killed nearly 250 others was captured.

In June, U.S. cease-fire proposals were rejected, even by its main ally, U.S. President Joe Biden. He accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war in Gaza for political reasons.

Both are former defense ministers Joav Gallant and one of Netanyahu’s main allies, Benny Gantz, accused Netanyahu of the same thing.