
As Gazans wait for ceasefire to come into effect on Sunday 81 people were killed in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile Israel’s cabinet is delaying its meeting to approve the ceasefire.
A ceasefire deal between Palestinian factions and Israel will take effect next Sunday on January 19th, 2025. It means that there are still 72 hours until the fire is truly ceased.
Gaza people fear these hours to be filled with Israeli air strikes and deliberate attacks. The assaults have started earlier today once the agreement was announced by Qatari officials.
In Less than 12 hours, more than 50 Gazans have been confirmed killed in separate air strikes on residential buildings and civilian gatherings in the Strip. Like previous ceasefires, people say that the critical hours that we are heading into will be overwhelmed with significant developments that could even impact negatively on the course of the ceasefire.
According to the daily Briefing by the Ministry of Health in Gaza the Israeli occupation carried out 8 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, killing 81 people and injuring 188 others.
The documented Palestinian death toll has now reached 46,788 people killed and 110,453 others injured since October 7, 2023.
Many victims are still unaccounted for, either buried under the rubble or scattered on the streets, and rescue and civil defense teams are unable to reach them.
Israeli Cabinet Delays Meeting To Approve Ceasefire
Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli cabinet has delayed its planned meeting to approve a ceasefire and prisoner deal with Hamas, accusing the group of seeking “last-minute concessions.”
According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, “Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions. The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
In response, Hamas has reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement announced by mediators on Wednesday, senior official Izzat al-Reshiq shared in a statement Thursday morning.
Avigdor Lieberman Accuses Netanyahu Of Blocking Single-Stage Ceasefire
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party and a member of the Israeli Knesset, has accused Netanyahu of blocking a single-stage ceasefire deal that would have released all Israeli captives at once.
The reason for instead opting for a phased deal, according to Lieberman, was to preserve Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
“The prime minister didn’t want a single-stage deal,” Lieberman told Israel’s Srugim news site.
“He personally briefed and gave very strict instructions to the negotiating team, and under no circumstances was he willing to give them a mandate to negotiate a single-stage deal for everyone.”
Father Of Israeli Captive Threatens To Sue Ben-Gvir If The Ceasefire Deal Is Not Approved
Itzik Horn, the father of Israeli captives Eitan and Yair, stated that if the deal is not approved by Israel’s cabinet due to opposition from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir or others, and something happens to one of his sons, he will personally pursue criminal charges against the opposing ministers.
Ben-Gvir has said that advancing Gaza ceasefire talks constitute a “surrender deal to Hamas”, adding that if the deal passes, he will resign from the Israeli government. Itzik Horn said, “All I know is from the media, so I’m not packing a suitcase or thinking about what to cook yet. I’m in favour of, if they can get someone out of hell – then they must.”
Human Rights Watch Welcomes Ceasefire Deal
Omar Shakir, Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, has welcomed the news of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and also called for Israel “to lift its blockade, allow in humanitarian aid at scale necessary to meet urgent needs, and ensure basic services like electricity and water are restored”.
“Otherwise, people will continue to die, ceasefire or not,” he said in a statement.
He added that the “heinous crimes” committed should not go unpunished.
South Africa Welcomes Ceasefire Deal
South Africa‘s government, which launched a petition accusing Israel of genocide, welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and called for “the implementation of a just and lasting peace that ensures the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis are protected and promoted”.