Jan 16, 2025
Israeli media has voiced strong criticism of the recently agreed Gaza ceasefire, with commentators and military officials arguing that it fails to achieve the key objectives set by “Israel” for its military campaign.
Military correspondent Lilach Shoval told Channel 12 on Thursday that the agreement does not ensure the fulfillment of “Israel’s” goals, which were “eliminating Hamas and recovering Israeli prisoners.” She added, “Dozens of Israeli prisoners remain, and it is unclear if or how the second phase of the agreement will proceed. Meanwhile, Hamas, without any alternative, continues to govern the Gaza Strip and is even being strengthened as new leaders are released from Israeli prisons and sent to Gaza.”
Similarly, Avi Issacharoff, writing for Yedioth Ahronoth, described the agreement as detrimental to “Israel”. “Despite the significant damage to Hamas’s tunnel network, much of it remains operational. Moreover, Hamas’s civil administration and control capabilities have survived,” he said.
In Israel Hayom, Sarah Cohen highlighted her concerns about the truce. “After 15 months of fighting, Hamas remains alive, breathing, active, and negotiating with us over its demands,” she wrote.
An officer from the Israeli forces’ Southern Command expressed frustration over the outcome, telling Channel 14 that “everything we achieved during the war will go to waste.” A field officer echoed this sentiment in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, noting, “It’s impossible to eliminate an army that has been built over 15-20 years in just one year.”
Further concerns were raised by Yoav Zitun in Yedioth Ahronoth, who noted, “Hamas still possesses tens of kilometers of tunnels that the Israeli army has yet to uncover in Gaza.”
Israeli media also recalled a statement made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2023, where he declared that Hamas would have no presence in Gaza. However, by 2025, Netanyahu was reported to have said that they were “waiting for Hamas’s response to the ceasefire proposal.”
Ceasefire faces delays
Earlier today, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told RIA Novosti that the occupation was covertly working to stall the process of implementing a ceasefire.
His comments came after Netanyahu’s office alleged that Hamas was violating parts of the ceasefire agreement and seeking additional concessions at the last minute. The occupation announced it would withhold approval of the agreement until mediators confirmed Hamas’s full compliance with all its terms.
Abu Zuhri dismissed statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as unfounded, noting they were aimed at obstructing progress.
“These statements have no basis whatsoever. They represent an Israeli attempt to slow down the implementation of the agreement,” Abu Zuhri told RIA Novosti.
On a related note, the Biden administration said it is optimistic about the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement by Sunday, despite delays caused by the Israeli occupation’s approval process.
In an interview with CNN, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer addressed potential challenges in implementing the agreement, stating that complications in such deals are expected, particularly “when there is literally zero trust between the two parties to the agreement.”
Finer, however, expressed confidence in the timeline laid out by mediators and stakeholders. “We fully expect the deal to be implemented as described by the president and by the mediators, Egypt and Qatar yesterday, and on the timeline that was described,” he said.
“What we’re doing now is working through details of implementation.”
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