Netanyahu had ‘no choice’ but to back ceasefire
Political commentator Ori Goldberg says the Israeli government’s claim to have achieved all its objectives in Iran before the truce is “ridiculous”.
“It is really unclear, to say the least, what Israel’s goals were,” Goldberg told Al Jazeera, speaking from Tel Aviv. “Over the past week, we heard Israel talk about everything from the decapitation of the nuclear programme to regime change.”
While there has been some damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, Goldberg said it remains “completely unclear” whether Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium has been damaged or destroyed. And given there was never an “imminent, inevitable” nuclear threat from Iran towards Israel to begin with, “nothing has essentially changed in the situation”, he added.
Goldberg said Israel likely agreed to the ceasefire due to the mounting damage from Iranian attacks and predictable pressure from the Trump administration. “Having decided to hitch the Israeli horse to the Trump wagon, Netanyahu had no choice,” Goldberg said.
“Netanyahu decided to gamble on Trump coming to his rescue. Trump did, and Netanyahu is therefore obligated to assist in Trump’s goal, which was and still is ultimately securing the regional deal and not launching a regional war.”
Families of Israeli captives say ceasefire deal must include Gaza
Relatives of the Israeli captives held in Gaza are calling on their government to end the war on the Palestinian territory and secure the return of their loved ones.
“The ceasefire agreement must expand to include Gaza. We call on the government to urgently engage in talks that will lead to the return of all hostages and the end of the war. If they can achieve a ceasefire with Iran, they can also end the war in Gaza,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on X.
“It is unthinkable that after a brilliant operation in Iran and a decisive, devastating blow to the Iranian axis, Israel would return to sinking in the Gaza quagmire. This contradicts all logic and every Israeli interest,” it said.
“Ending the operation in Iran without leveraging it to secure the return of all hostages would be a grave diplomatic failure. There is a historic window of opportunity, and the Israeli government has a duty to seize it with both hands.”
Israeli opposition calls for Gaza ceasefire next
Yair Golan, leader of the centre-left Democrats Party, has urged the government to follow the announced Iran ceasefire by agreeing a truce in Gaza.
“Now is the time to complete the mission: Return all the hostages, end the war in Gaza and stop once and for all the coup that threatens to make Israel weak, divided and vulnerable,” Golan said in a post on X.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid made a similar appeal.
“And now Gaza. It’s time to [finish] there too,” he said in comments carried by The Times of Israel. “Return the hostages, end the war. Israel needs to start rebuilding.”
