Gaza ceasefire won’t last without political process, warn analysts
Experts who spoke to Al Jazeera fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has resisted a ceasefire deal for months and insisted that Hamas must be destroyed, will resume hostilities after the captives are recovered to ostensibly “punish” the Palestinian group, buttress Israel’s security and ensure his own political survival, while somehow blaming Hamas for the failure of the deal.
“Israel is very good at breaking ceasefires and making it appear that it wasn’t its fault,” said Mairav Zonszein, an expert on Israel-Palestine with the International Crisis Group.
‘Netanyahu wanted perpetual war’: Ex-Israeli negotiator
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli negotiator, tells Al Jazeera the Israeli prime minister is likely to continue provocations to try to “upend” the ceasefire.
“We can expect ongoing efforts to goad and provoke the unravelling of this deal. We’ll see, I’m sure, ugly things going on in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” as well as “aggression against UNRWA”, Levy said. “This is a fragile place to be.”
Levy also listed the ongoing costs of Israel’s war in Gaza, including its “international reputation, legal vulnerabilities and its economy”.
He suggested that with the imminent return of Trump to the White House, the Israeli leader was forced into a ceasefire.
Israel adds enhanced security in West Bank to war goals
Following the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel’s cabinet has added to the list of war goals the enhancement of security in the West Bank, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority has reported.
“The following war objective will be added: to significantly harm the capabilities of armed organisations in the West Bank, and to strengthen defence and security in the West Bank, with an emphasis on maintaining the security of travel and settlements,” the text of the resolution stated.
This news comes amid a Palestinian Authority crackdown on armed groups in the city of Jenin, and an increased Israeli army willingness to deploy air power against cities in the occupied West Bank.
Israel already redirected 3 battalions to the West Bank last week, the war there will continue to ramp up in scale.
PA says ready to assume responsibility over Gaza
The Palestinian presidency says it has completed all preparations to assume its “full responsibilities” in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian news agency Wafa has reported.
In a statement quoted by Wafa, the Palestinian Authority (PA) said that its staff is “fully prepared to carry out its duties and alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza”.
It also reiterated the position expressed by President Mahmoud Abbas that it has legal and political jurisdiction over the Strip, like the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
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