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Will the ceasefire deal hold and progress?
More from Sami Abu Shahadeh, the former member of the Israeli Knesset.
The commentator said he believes the ceasefire will continue. But Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, will seek to delay the implementation of each of the three stages in order to gain more time and stay on as the country’s prime minister, said Abu Shahadeh.
“Unfortunately, this criminal of war is running the whole Israeli state according to his political interests,” he said.
“I think his main political interest now is to survive till the summer vacation of the Knesset that starts on July 28 and ends after the end of all the Hebrew feasts at the end of October,” he said.
And if Netanyahu is successful in prolonging the ceasefire talks till the end of July, “it means he will continue being a prime minister, at least till the beginning of 2026”.
Abu Shahadeh added:
“He has elections at the end of 2026, so I think in each period, in each part of the ceasefire talks, Netanyahu will try to win a few more days in order to get to this. But the whole issue here is that there’s a dangerous prime minister, criminal of war, wanted by the ICC, running the whole state according to his own personal political interests.”
And now joined by a criminal running the US...
Trump confirms releasing US hold on heavy bombs to Israel
The US president, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, confirmed that he has instructed the military to lift the hold on the supply of 2,000-pound (900kg) bombs to Israel.
“We released them. We released them today. And they’ll have them. They paid for them and they’ve been waiting for them for a long time. They’ve been in storage,” Trump said.
Asked why he lifted the ban on those bombs, Trump responded, “Because they bought them.”
As we’ve been reporting, the Biden administration had halted the delivery of the heavy bombs last May, citing concern over harm to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
They 'bought them' with US tax payer money...
Israeli minister praises Trump for US delivery of big bombs
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked US President Donald Trump for authorising the release of a shipment of 2,000-pound (900kg) bombs to Israel that had previously been halted by the Biden administration.
“Thank you President Trump for yet another display of leadership by releasing the crucial defence shipment to Israel,” Saar said on X. The Middle East is safer when “Israel has what it needs to defend itself”, he added.
The MK-84 is a 2,000-pound ordnance and one of the heaviest pieces provided to Israel by the United States. The US suspended MK-84 supplies in May, worried Israel may use them to assault southern Gaza’s Rafah, which Israel proceeded to invade.
Armies tend to use the MK-84 sparingly but Israel is reported to have used it heavily on Gaza.
PM Netanyahu: France assures that Israeli firms can take part in Paris Air Show
The Israeli prime minister’s office says French President Emmanuel Macron has given him assurances that Israeli companies will be able to take part in the Paris Air Show.
The two had a phone conversation during which the assurance was given, according to a statement. Israeli defence companies were last year banned from participating in a defence industry exhibition held in Paris as Macron called for Israel to cease some military operations in Gaza.
The ban led to a strain in relations although a French court in October overturned a government ban on Israeli companies taking part in a naval arms exhibition near Paris.
The Paris Air Show, the world’s largest, is held every two years, alternating every other year with Farnborough in the UK. It is due to take place from June 16 until June 22. Leading aerospace, aviation and defence companies from around the world typically take part in both.
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