Celebration of a provisional ceasefire deal, Khan Younis, southern Gaza, January 15, 2025 (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)


What We Know About The (Potential) Gaza Ceasefire Deal


UPDATE 1657 GMT:

As Israel’s Security Cabinet convened to approve the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, I explained to India’s WION News how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is walking a tightrope among his hard-right Ministers, the rest of Israeli society, and his personal situation.

I conclude that this tightrope means that, in six weeks, there may not be a second phase of the ceasefire.

Watch from 2:05:


UPDATE, JAN 17:

After a series of last-minute delays, Israel’s Security Cabinet will finally convene on Friday morning to confirm the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Amid the turmoil in Israeli domestic politics holding up the confirmation, I spoke with Dublin NewsTalk’s Kieran Cuddihy on Thursday afternoon about the situation — and why agreeing a second phase of the ceasefire is likely to be far more difficult than the first.

Listen from 5:52:


UPDATE 1649 GMT:

I returned to France 24 English on Thursday afternoon to evaluate the ongoing dispute within the Israeli Cabinet over approval of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire.


UPDATE, 1355 GMT:

I joined Australia’s ABC News on Thursday morning to explain how Israeli domestic politics, involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hard-right ministers, has delayed — and may prevent — completion of the first-stage Gaza ceasefire deal.

Netanyahu either has to run the risk of Cabinet resignations and push the deal through with support of his other Ministers, or he has to back out and find some excuse for why Israel will continue the war.


ORIGINAL ENTRY: I joined France 24 English on Wednesday night to evaluate the provisional, first-stage ceasefire deal to end Israel’s mass killings in Gaza.

While welcoming the agreement, due to take effect on Sunday, I note that we still await confirmation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet — with some hard-right Ministers threatening to leave the Government over “surrender” to Gaza’s Hamas.

And I explain that the agreement only covers first, six-week phase in which 33 Israeli hostages will be freed by Hamas in return for the release of more than 1,200 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.

Agreement on the second phase, let alone the third and final stage, may run into difficulties into Israeli occupation of Gaza and Hamas’ insistence that it remain in power.

Both the US and Israel have said Hamas must not be allowed to govern Gaza, but of course Hamas is insisting, “We are the government of Gaza.”

Having said he would “absolutely destroy Gaza”, would Netanyahu ever be in the position where he would accept Hamas’ continued governance?