Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was delaying Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would stop fighting in the Gaza Strip and free dozens of hostages. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 72 people in the conflict-torn territory.
Netanyahu signaled there were problems with the deal shortly after US President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete. That created a dual reality: Palestinians weary of the conflict in Gaza, relatives of hostages held there and world leaders welcomed a deal, expected to begin on Sunday, even as Netanyahu said it was not yet finalized. .
It was not yet clear whether Netanyahu's remarks simply reflected a maneuver to keep his fragmented coalition together or whether the deal was at risk.
The Israeli cabinet was expected to vote on the deal on Thursday, but Netanyahu's office said they will not meet until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the deal in a bid to extract more concessions, without giving further details.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the militant group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”
The deal announced Wednesday would see the release of dozens of hostages held in Gaza and a pause in fighting with a view to eventually ending a 15-month conflict that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world.
Hamas sparked the conflict with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage.
Israel responded with a ferocious offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children account for more than half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
The military campaign also devastated vast swathes of Gaza and drove around 90% of Gaza's population, 2.3 million people, from their homes. According to United Nations officials, hundreds of thousands of people battle hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast.
Netanyahu faces strong internal pressure
Netanyahu's office previously accused Hamas of backtracking on a deal it said would give Israel a veto over which prisoners convicted of murder would be released in exchange for hostages.
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The Israeli prime minister has faced huge domestic pressure to bring the hostages home, but his far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he makes too many concessions. He has enough opposition support to approve a deal even without those partners, but doing so would weaken his coalition.
One of his far-right allies, the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has already spoken out against the agreement. Another, Bezalel Smotrich, posted on X on Wednesday night demanding “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the war later, calling the current deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel.
The departure of both factions would seriously destabilize the government and could lead to early elections.
A night of strong Israeli attacks
Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli shelling overnight as people celebrated the ceasefire agreement. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project force.
“We expected the occupation to intensify the bombing, as they did every time there were reports of progress in the truce (negotiations),” said Mohammed Mahdi, who fled his home a few months ago and is taking refuge in Gaza City.
Ahmed Mattar, who lives near the city's Al-Ahly hospital, said he heard “massive airstrikes” overnight.
Gaza's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced. He said the death toll from Thursday's attacks only includes bodies taken to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the true toll is likely higher.
“Yesterday was a bloody day and today is bloodier,” said Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry's registration department.
An Associated Press journalist on the Israeli side of the border near Gaza heard more airstrikes and artillery fire Thursday.
Buildings destroyed by Israeli bombing seen inside the Gaza Strip from southern Israel, Thursday, January 16, 2025.
AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
A gradual withdrawal and release of hostages with potential dangers
Under the deal reached Wednesday, 33 of about 100 hostages remaining in Gaza will be freed over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces will withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians could return to what remains of their homes and there will be an increase in humanitarian assistance.
The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, will be freed in a second, much more difficult phase, which will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles the group and maintains indefinite security control over the territory.
Ceasefire leaves unanswered questions about Gaza's future
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States are expected to meet in Cairo on Thursday to discuss implementing the deal, which came after a year of intense talks with repeated setbacks.
US President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy joined the talks in recent weeks, and both the outgoing administration and Trump's team take credit for the breakthrough.
Many long-term questions remain about post-conflict Gaza, including who will govern the territory or oversee the massive reconstruction task.
Israel has come under heavy international criticism, including from its closest ally, the United States, over the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. It also blames Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing it of using schools, hospitals and residential areas for military purposes.
Hamas, a militant group that does not accept the existence of Israel, has come under overwhelming pressure from Israeli military operations, including the invasion of Gaza's largest cities and towns and the seizure of the Gaza-Egypt border. Its top leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to have helped plan the October 7, 2023 attack, have been killed.
But its fighters have regrouped in some of the worst-affected areas after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, raising the possibility of a prolonged insurgency if the conflict continues.
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in southern Israel contributed.