Netanyahu Delays Cabinet Vote on Ceasefire, Bombs Gaza

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation
Jan. 16, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday halted a scheduled cabinet vote to enact a ceasefire with Hamas and carried out a series of airstrikes in Gaza that killed at least 70 people.

"On Thursday morning, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement, without specifying which ones," the New York Times reported. "Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the group was committed to the deal."

From Reuters, "Israel strikes in Gaza kill at least 70 after ceasefire accord, residents say":

Israel airstrikes killed at least 70 people in Gaza overnight on Thursday, residents and authorities in the enclave said, hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced to bring an end to 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.

The complex ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to stop the war that has devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.

The deadly airstrikes came just hours after President-elect Trump, President Biden and all parties involved announced a ceasefire deal had been reached.

BREAKING:

Within the last hour alone, Israel has slaughtered 30 civilians in Gaza.

Entire Palestinian families are STILL being wiped out as we speak.

Israel is racing to commit as many massacres as it can before the ceasefire goes into effect on Sunday.

Sheer evil. pic.twitter.com/XeLdrDKo9a
— sarah (@sahouraxo) January 15, 2025

BREAKING :

Just after agreeing to a ceasefire, Israel is now dropping bombs on TENTS packed with civilians in Gaza, burning Palestinians alive in the middle of the night.

HOLOCAUST. pic.twitter.com/8ICvPrZC1B
— sarah (@sahouraxo) January 16, 2025

UPDATE: Here's the latest from Mediaite:

[...] Israeli commentators are pointing to a high-stakes political standoff as Netanyahu reportedly grapples with securing support for the deal from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to keep his coalition intact and prevent his Religious Zionism party from quitting the government.

Channel 14’s Moti Castel cited a senior political source who revealed that “the main reason for the delay of the convening of the Israeli cabinet (to vote on the deal) is the political fear over Smotrich and Mr. Netanyahu’s desire to get a clear commitment from him that he won’t leave the government.”

Smotrich reportedly insists on maintaining military control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, a demand that has become a sticking point in negotiations.

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