Political infighting and Hamas tactics have stalled a crucial ceasefire vote in Israel
Netanyahu had been on board with the agreement after intense negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. But some far-right members of the Knesset were not having it. They insisted that the war should keep going until Hamas is completely defeated.
The proposed deal includes a 42-day ceasefire starting January 19, along with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. However, the far-right ministers threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu didn’t promise to resume fighting after those 42 days.
While Netanyahu has enough votes to pass the ceasefire, he still needs the far-right’s backing to keep his coalition intact. They’re pushing for continued military action against Hamas and are against releasing any prisoners with serious charges.
On the flip side, Netanyahu accused Hamas of trying to backtrack on their agreement, claiming they were using last-minute tactics to gain leverage. Former Knesset member Ruth Wasserman Lande pointed out that Hamas is skilled at psychological manipulation, especially when public expectations are high.
The conflict also involved Hamas wanting more control over which Palestinian prisoners would be released. Although the ceasefire disagreement seems to be resolved, it still needs a majority vote in the Knesset to go ahead.
For now, Israel is continuing its military operations until the ceasefire is officially approved. Just hours after the deal was announced, Israel launched airstrikes on around 50 targets in Gaza, including a key Hamas figure involved in a previous attack.
