More divided than ever is his government after the Gaza agreement was signed, writes Deutsche Welle in an analysis. According to all indications, the Israeli government of Netanyahu is to ratify today (17.01.2025) the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. CORVERSE This development will result in the truce taking effect at noon on the coming Sunday (19.1.2025) and, as the state Israeli media broadcast, the first three female hostages will be released early in the afternoon of the same day. However, the agreement signed at dawn by the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha has provoked a variety of reactions, both in the ranks of the coalition and opposition, and among the relatives of Israeli hostages – either those to be released gradually over the next six weeks or those who should expect the second phase of the truce to be put into effect. The “prior” developments, however, if anything is of particular interest, are the earliest sequence of developments. It is typical that, as early as this morning, the names contained in the list of 33 hostages to be released during the first phase of the truce had been communicated to their families, although the limited composition Cabinet, responsible for security and defence issues (Israeli Kyssella), had not yet met. CORVERSE According to the Russian semi-official news agency Sputnik, families will be informed about the impending release of their relatives 24 hours before its realization – information broadcast by Israeli media. Also, the valid wide circulation newspaper Israel Hayom published on its website, citing a government source involved in negotiating contacts, the exclusive information that both Biden and Trump have assured the Israelis that if Hamas violates even the slightest condition of the ceasefire agreement at any stage, then the US will give the “green light” to continue Israeli land operations in Gaza. This information was allowed to become known, while within the government coalition objections are raised as to whether or not this agreement should be ratified by the government. The threats of the “extreme” will not bring down the Netanyahu government It is a fact that, in the last 24 hours, the Netanyahu government seems more divided than ever. In last night’s dramatic announcement, National Security Minister and leader of the party of the ethnic religious far-right “Jewish Power”, Itamar Ben Gvere, made it clear that if the agreement is ratified today, it will leave the government. He repeated the same position this morning. At the same time, and following the decision made yesterday by the parliamentary group of the second ethnic-religious far-right party “Religious Zionism”, its leader, Finance Minister, Becalel Smotric, insists that if Israel does not continue its land operations in Gaza immediately after the completion of the first phase of the truce, its party will also leave the government. Nevertheless, a common position of the government’s two “extreme voices” is that – even if they leave the Cabinet – they will not “throw” the government, in order “not to carry out the Left’s dream”, as Ben Gvere said. Thus, although the very coherence of the Netanyahu government is threatened, the possibility of collapse is reduced to a minimum. Finally, there are strong criticisms from members of the government, which are contrary to the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Philadelphia Axis (Gaza-Egypt border) – a move that the agreement plans to take place at the latest on the 50th day of the truce. On the other hand, however, it is of particular interest that the “parliamentary lifesaver” offered by the leader of the centre-left main opposition, Yair Lapid, since Netanyahu will not be able to effectively address the objections of his right-wing partners. Divided and relatives of hostages Finally, the Israeli hostages’ relatives are equally divided. The two unions of the relatives of the hostages, identified with the government’s rightest voices, hold for three consecutive days massive demonstrations in downtown Jerusalem, requiring Netanyahu not to accept this agreement, calling on him to insist on the massive liberation of all hostages and the military continuing its operations in Gaza until the complete collapse of Hamas, or, at least, the exile of its officials from the Palestinian enclave. On the contrary, the associations of the relatives of the hostages who are in favour of this ceasefire agreement once again demonstrated today at noon in the centre of Tel Aviv, expressing on the one hand their hope that the 33 hostages will be released at an initial stage in the first phase of the truce, and on the other hand by making their request that the government prioritise the rapid release of all the remaining hostages, without making it possible to maintain or not Hamas’ presence in Gaza. Source: Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle: Truce Agreement Splits Netanahu Government in Israel · Global Voices
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