Israeli Attacks Kill 70+ as Netanyahu Delays Cabinet Vote on Cease-Fire Deal

January 16, 2025

Jake Johnson

Israeli attacks have reportedly killed more than 70 people in the Gaza Strip in the hours since a multiphase cease-fire agreement was announced Wednesday, a deal that sparked cautious hope for an end to a 15-month U.S.-backed assault that has decimated the Palestinian enclave and created one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in modern history.

 

 Relatives of a journalist killed by an Israeli drone attack carry his shrouded body in Khan Younis, Gaza on January 16, 2025. (Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israel's cabinet was expected to meet Thursday to approve the cease-fire and hostage-release deal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement accusing Hamas of reneging "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," said Netanyahu, who is facing backlash from far-right groups and lawmakers over the deal.

Hamas rejected Netanyahu's claim that it is backing off the agreed-upon deal, with senior officials reiterating the group's commitment to the cease-fire in response to the Israeli prime minister.

"There is no basis for Netanyahu's allegations that the movement has backed down from the terms of the cease-fire agreement," said one Hamas official.

At a Wednesday press conference announcing the deal, Qatar's prime minister expressed hope that "the coming days will not see any military operations," with the cease-fire supposed to take effect on Sunday.

But those hopes were quickly dashed as Israeli forces continued their bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 73 people—including 20 children—and injuring hundreds more in attacks across the territory following news of the deal, which was a product of months of negotiations.

Al Jazeera reported that one of the Israeli attacks hit a school housing displaced people in Gaza City.

The deal's announcement, while welcomed by humanitarian groups and Palestinians displaced by Israeli bombing, was met with some trepidation given Netanyahu's insistence last month that Israeli forces "will return to fighting" once hostages are freed.

"There is no point in pretending otherwise," the prime minister said, "because returning to fighting is needed in order to complete the goals of the war."

Annelle Sheline, a research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wrote Wednesday that "despite the jubilation of the population in Gaza as well as that of the families of hostages held by Hamas, there have already been signs that Netanyahu has no interest in a lasting cease-fire."

Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy and a former adviser to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), warned Wednesday that "there are many ways" the deal could fall apart.

"Netanyahu has reportedly assured his right-wing ministers that he will resume the war after phase I 'until Hamas' defeat,'" Duss noted. "If, as another Israeli report claims, [U.S. President-elect Donald] Trump has secretly offered support for more settlements in the West Bank in exchange for Netanyahu backing the Gaza cease-fire, a return to large-scale violence against West Bank Palestinians (as opposed to the smaller-scale violence that they endure every day) is simply a question of when, not if."

"So long as the Palestinian people live under occupation, and the Israeli government steadily consolidates that occupation as a single undemocratic state, neither Israelis nor Palestinians will ever know the security and peace that both peoples desire and deserve," Duss added. "The path toward both will require a level of vision and courage that is currently in very short supply."

 

The Fatal Effort to Dismantle the UN’s Relief and Works Agencyfor Palestinian Refugees

Dan Steinbock

New York (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Early in the year, State Department officials briefed Joel Rayburn from the Trump transition team there could be a humanitarian “catastrophe” in Gaza when a new Israeli law barring contact with the UN refugee agency for Palestinians takes effect at the end of the month.

 

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is the primary aid agency operating in the Gaza Strip. After more than a year of war, the UN and other aid organizations warn Gaza is close to uninhabitable. Tens of thousands of houses have been destroyed. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 107,000 injured. In the future, these numbers are likely to prove three to four times higher. And still worse could be ahead.

During President Trump’s first term, his administration gradually cut all U.S. assistance to UNRWA. The Biden administration later resumed U.S. aid to the agency. Last March, Congress passed a law that bans the U.S. from funding UNRWA until at least 2025.

Why should the horrific policy errors of the past be compounded with monstrous new policy mistakes?          

The origins            

The fate of UNRWA is one of the many dilemmas I scrutinized while working on The Fall of Israel (2025). After achieving an initial truce in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat, used it to lay the groundwork for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Bernadotte tried to balance the different interests of the Israelis and Palestinians, the major powers in the region and the UN Partition Plan. Having witnessed the horrible outcome of the Jewish Holocaust in Europe and hoping to avert a catastrophe in Palestine, he also proposed that the UN should establish a Palestine conciliation commission and Arab refugees would have a full right to return to their homes in Jewish-controlled territory.

Just hours after his proposal, Bernadotte was assassinated in Jerusalem by the Jewish paramilitary Stern group, while pursuing his official duties. One of those who planned the killing was Yitzhak Shamir, the future prime minister of Israel, and the predecessor and onetime mentor of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s current PM.

Ever since then, UNRWA has been a lifeline to generations of Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the adjacent Arab countries. Created as a purely temporary measure, UNRWA’s mandate has been subject to renewal every three years ever since.

Historically, the United States has been UNRWA’s largest financial contributor, with more than $7.3 billion since 1950. From the start, these contributions have been subject to a variety of legislative conditions and oversight measures, however.

Funding threats    

Decades of U.S. policy toward Israel and the occupied territories, however ambiguous, was reversed almost overnight, when the Trump administration executed a series of dramatic policy changes in 2018 and canceled nearly all U.S. aid to the West Bank and Gaza, plus $360 million in annual aid previously given to the UNRWA. Subsequently, the Biden administration restored much of the funding, yet provided Israel weapons and financing for the mass atrocities of those the UNRWA funding was supposed to help.

After allegations surfaced connecting a few of the 30,000 UNRWA employees with the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks against Israel, the Agency fired nine staff members following a UN investigation. While it denied allegations that the agency has widespread links to Hamas, Congress enacted a March 2024 prohibition on U.S. funding to UNRWA (P.L. 118-47), which is set to last until late March, 2025.

To put things into context: The Empire State Building is said to have 21,000 employees. Imagine what would happen if six of them would be suspected of terrorism and therefore the entire building would have to be dismantled and all employees fired? It would be an absurd collective punishment for the alleged crimes of a few.

Worse, the Israeli laws passed on October 28, 2024 and scheduled to take effect 90 days later, would endanger the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.

Millions of lives threatened                   

The new U.S. and Israeli legal measures emboldened Jewish settlers, particularly the Messianic far-right. In May 2024 they launched several attacks on the UNRWA headquarters, setting fire to the perimeter of the building in East Jerusalem. The attacks against UNRWA came after months of far-right settler protests outside of the building, following Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links; accusations that lacked verification, according to U.S. intelligence.

Among the protesters was Aryeh King, a deputy mayor of Jerusalem and a prominent advocate for settlements, who called Palestinian Gazans “Muslim Nazis,” described them as “sub-human” calling for captured Palestinians to be “buried alive” in December 2023.

By the year-end of 2024, some 265 UNRWA staff had been killed in hostilities since October 7, 2023. Despite a record-high number that suggests intentional targeting, those behind the Israeli strikes have not been prosecuted.

More than 5.9 million Palestinians, including three of four in Gaza, are registered with UNRWA as refugees.

The stakes

In Gaza, nearly two million Palestinians are displaced and dependent on aid for food, water and medical services. U.S. officials say there’s no serious backup plan for providing humanitarian supplies and services to Palestinians. With the new U.S.-Israeli laws, senior UNRWA emergency officers presage social order in the Strip could collapse.

Here are some ways to preempt such disasters:

• The White House should pressure Israel to suspend and nullify the impending adverse acts against UNRWA
• S. Congress should lift current prohibition on UNRWA funding through March 2025
• UNRWA’s funding should be broadened by the U.S. and internationally in light of the devastation and genocidal atrocities caused in Gaza
• The Agency’s existence should be premised on the implementation of all relevant and existing UN resolutions both the U.S. and the international community have voted for.

How probable are such measures in the conceivable future? Highly unlikely.

What’s the alternative? Far worse, far worse.

 

Is the Israel-Hamas truce doomed to fail?

Murad Sadygzade

A total of 466 days after the tragic events of October 7, 2023, when the simmering Middle Eastern conflict reignited with devastating intensity, claiming the lives of nearly 50,000 civilians, the long-awaited news of a ceasefire finally emerged. In the shadow of destruction and loss, through indirect negotiations, Hamas and Israel – two adversaries locked in an endless struggle – have managed to reach an agreement. This fragile accord has become a symbol of hope for millions who have endured the horrors of war.

For the people of Gaza, this agreement is a beacon of light in a dark tunnel, a chance to restore peace they had long lost. After years of relentless and bloody confrontation that brought devastation and grief, many now dare to believe that a return to normalcy is possible. In this ceasefire, they see a path to rebuild lives shattered by conflict and reclaim the stability that was taken from them.

Israeli citizens, meanwhile, have received the news with cautious optimism, holding onto the possibility of relative stability. This moment offers an opportunity to reconsider a way of life in which peace and security have always felt precarious. The ceasefire brings with it hope for recovery, a reprieve from the constant fear and tension, and a potential shift toward internal stability.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, announced the imminent release of hostages held in Gaza and confirmed that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement for a ceasefire.

Al Thani detailed that the agreement, expected to take effect on January 19, marks the first step toward restoring peace in the region. The initial phase of the agreement will last 42 days, during which Israel has agreed to withdraw its forces from Gaza’s populated areas to border regions, a critical step toward de-escalation. The Qatari Prime Minister also confirmed that 33 Israeli hostages, along with Palestinian detainees, would be released under the terms of the agreement. Additionally, the restoration of hospitals and medical centers in Gaza will begin as part of humanitarian aid efforts.

Al Thani further stated that the details of the second and third phases of the agreement would be clarified later and called on all parties to exercise calm and refrain from violence until the ceasefire comes into effect.

Hamas later confirmed its acceptance of the ceasefire conditions in Gaza, expressing satisfaction that the agreement resulted from “the legendary resilience of the Palestinian people and the valiant resistance in Gaza,” as stated in the group’s official announcement.

Moreover, The Times of Israel reported that an important meeting of Israel’s Cabinet is scheduled for January 16 at 11:00 a.m. local time, where the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is expected to be approved.

According to Al Jazeera, Qatar and Egypt are set to oversee the transfer of released hostages from the southern part of Gaza to the north, a crucial element in implementing the ceasefire agreement and ensuring security.

However, history offers numerous examples where ceasefire agreements have failed to bring lasting peace and stability. A recent case was the agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, signed on November 27, 2024. This ceasefire, which included Lebanon and several mediating countries like the United States, came after more than a year of intense fighting.

Since October 8, 2023, Israel and Hezbollah had been locked in fierce hostilities, escalating further after Israel launched a military invasion of Lebanon on October 1, 2024. The conflict resulted in significant casualties and destruction, affecting not only Lebanon, but also Israel. This period of violence once again underscored how rapidly tensions can ignite in a region long plagued by brutal confrontations.

The ceasefire agreement does not guarantee the elimination of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Similarly, while the ceasefire in Gaza appears to be a step toward peace, the region remains volatile, and the situation is far from straightforward. Israel continues its military operations despite the truce. For instance, on January 13, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. According to the IDF, these strikes were based on intelligence reports and targeted several sites, including missile launch facilities, military installations, and routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah for weapons smuggling.

Israel stated that these sites posed a threat to “Israeli civilians and the IDF.” In line with the ceasefire terms, Israel maintains it is acting in self-defense and will counter any attempt by the terrorist organization to regroup. This highlights that even with an official truce in place, Israel is unwilling to halt its military operations if it perceives a security threat.

The same fragility applies to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The agreement is precarious, riddled with vulnerabilities and unforeseen risks that could reignite the flames of war in Gaza. The previous ceasefire between the IDF and Hamas lasted only seven days – from November 24 to December 1, 2023. During that period, the truce was extended twice, surpassing the originally agreed four days. Palestinian militants released 105 Israeli and foreign hostages during this time.

In the year that followed, negotiations continued with active mediation by the US, Qatar, and Egypt. Despite repeated statements from both sides and international mediators claiming they were “closer than ever” to a new agreement, talks repeatedly broke down.

One of the major sticking points was control over the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border in the event of a truce, as well as the nature of the agreement – whether it would be temporary or permanent. The Palestinian side insisted on the latter, while Netanyahu maintained that the war would only end with the complete destruction of Hamas. In early November, after yet another breakdown in talks, Qatar announced it was withdrawing from its mediating role and expelled Hamas representatives from its territory.

Thus, one can only hope that the bloodshed will truly come to an end, but only time will tell, as the root causes of the conflict remain unresolved. It is possible that this ceasefire is merely a pause before an even greater catastrophe.

Mediators have often pointed out that Israel’s stance has obstructed agreements during previous ceasefire negotiations. However, in recent weeks, talks have gained momentum, perhaps partly due to Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. The Republican’s team has already claimed credit for securing a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The president-elect himself promised “hell to pay” if a deal for the release of hostages was not reached before his inauguration on January 20. “It won’t be very pleasant,” Trump warned on December 16.

While the outgoing US administration was conducting negotiations in Israel, Egypt, and Qatar, representatives of the incoming administration embarked on a diplomatic tour of key regional capitals. Middle East advisor Massad Boulos and special envoy Steve Whitkoff held December talks with leaders in Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. According to Axios, discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman included not only a potential “mega-deal” between Washington and Riyadh – encompassing expanded military cooperation and the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations – but also measures to resolve the Gaza conflict. From December 17 to 19, hostage envoy Adam Boehler visited Israel, Egypt, and Qatar.

The broader developments are also influenced by shifting political and military dynamics in the Middle East. The fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria and the military weakening of Hezbollah have significantly curtailed the ability of Hamas’s allies within the so-called “Axis of Resistance” to provide support. The diminished Hezbollah now faces challenges not only in the military sphere but also in maintaining its political foothold in Lebanon.

Another critical factor is Iran’s cautious stance. With Donald Trump’s assumption of power in the US, Iran is wary of a direct military confrontation with Israel and its allies. This has led Tehran to increasingly signal its willingness to engage in negotiations with Washington, which has influenced its level of support for Hezbollah and Hamas.

Furthermore, there are no guarantees that subsequent phases of the ceasefire will be implemented. On the sixteenth day after the agreement takes effect, indirect negotiations are scheduled to begin between the parties to define the terms of the next stage. This new phase is expected to involve the release of additional hostages and prisoners, as well as an extension of the ceasefire.

However, there are no written assurances that the truce will continue beyond the first stage if an agreement on future actions is not reached.

Previous experiences with such agreements demonstrate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized his intention to continue military operations until Hamas is completely destroyed, even after the initial stage of agreements is implemented.

The agreement stipulates that Israeli forces will withdraw eastward to the Gaza border. One of Hamas’s initial demands was the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory; however, this requirement was later dropped. The current terms of the ceasefire allow for the prolonged presence of Israeli forces in a buffer zone along the border. Additionally, Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim axis may remain intact.

For Gaza – a territory only 40 kilometers long and 5 to 13 kilometers wide – any continuation of Israel’s military presence means the exclusion of significant portions of land from civilian use, such as housing or agriculture. This not only increases pressure on an already densely populated region but also infringes on the rights of Palestinian landowners.

The conclusion of active hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon is likely to trigger complex internal processes within Israel, where political and societal tensions remain extremely high. The position of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet appears increasingly precarious. The opposition is already poised to accuse him of dragging the country into prolonged and costly conflicts that have resulted in substantial civilian and military casualties.

Israel’s economic situation has deteriorated significantly amid the fighting, while its international reputation, particularly among European allies, has suffered. The declared objectives of the military campaign remain unachieved. In Lebanon, despite the significant weakening of Hezbollah, its influence could not be completely eradicated. Similarly, Hamas in Gaza continues to retain the ability to mount substantial resistance.

Statements by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have underscored growing discontent, even among Israel’s allies. According to Washington, Hamas has almost fully replenished its ranks following the events of October 7, 2023. Blinken noted that a military campaign alone cannot defeat the radical movement. Without a clear post-conflict plan and tangible political prospects for Palestinians, Hamas – or similar groups – will inevitably fill the vacuum.

“We see this in northern Gaza. Every time Israel conducts military operations and withdraws, Hamas fighters regroup and return. The void simply cannot be filled. By our estimates, the movement has already restored nearly all its personnel lost during the conflict,” Blinken said. He added that without a long-term solution, the situation sets the stage for a protracted insurgency and endless confrontation.

Israel now finds itself in a difficult position, where the end of military operations has not brought the long-awaited stability, and both domestic and international challenges continue to mount. Against this backdrop, the opposition is ready to hold Netanyahu accountable, pointing out that despite the losses and destruction, the influence of Hezbollah and Hamas remains significant, and peace in the region has not been achieved.

Despite the changing circumstances that enabled the ceasefire agreement, many key issues remain unresolved. While the influence of Hamas and Hezbollah has been weakened, it has not been eradicated. Israel’s domestic political climate remains deeply unstable, and realistic prospects for addressing the Palestinian issue have yet to be developed. Moreover, for Prime Minister Netanyahu, the resumption of conflict may be his only opportunity to strengthen his position and salvage his political career. All of this creates conditions for renewed tension in Gaza to escalate into open conflict once again, turning the current ceasefire into nothing more than a temporary reprieve.

 

Hamas denies Netanyahu’s claims on violating hostage deal

Palestinian armed group Hamas has rejected claims by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it is creating a last-minute “crisis” in finalizing the deal to release the hostages held in Gaza.

 

On Wednesday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had struck an agreement securing the release of the remaining hostages. According to multiple media outlets, the agreement approved in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion into the country.

“Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators,” Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of the group’s political bureau, said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

The statement came shortly after Netanyahu’s office accused the Palestinian group of “reneging on the understandings” reached as part of the hostage deal and “creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.”

“The Israeli cabinet will not convene [to approve the deal] until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” it stressed.

Israel intensified its airstrikes across Gaza shortly after the ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, Reuters reported, citing the civil emergency service and residents in the enclave.

The attacks came as people in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the truce, which is expected to start on Sunday.

At least 32 people were killed in “heavy Israeli bombardment,” especially of Gaza City, late on Wednesday, the agency said. The strikes continued early on Thursday, with homes being destroyed in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza, and in northern Gaza, it added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blamed Hamas for firing a rocket into Israel on Thursday, with the incident causing no casualties.

Israel began its military operation in Gaza 15 months ago in response to the cross-border raid by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people died and 250 others were taken prisoner. At least 94 of them still remain in captivity. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 104,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in the enclave, according to the latest data from Gaza’s health ministry.