US Secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has voiced at a news conference that he expected the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to go into effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025, as planned.
Describing the ceasefire deal as a “moment of tremendous relief for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Blinken stated, “As President Biden said yesterday, after more than 400 days of struggle, a day of success has arrived.”
Blinken’s remarks come after Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delayed a cabinet meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2025, to vote on and ratify a ceasefire and hostage release deal announced by the leaders of Qatar and the US a day before.
Blinken asserted that it would take “tremendous effort, political courage, compromise” to ensure that the deal endures.
When asked how confident he feels that the ceasefire will actually happen, Blinken remarked, “On the ceasefire, I am confident,” adding, “I fully expect that implementation will begin … on Sunday.”
He noted that the process of negotiations has been “challenging” and that “you may get a loose end.”
“We’re tying up that loose end as we speak. I’ve been on the phone in one way or another all morning with [White House Middle East adviser’] Brett McGurk, with our Qatari friends, and I’m very confident that we will [see this] moving forward, and that we’ll see the start of the implementation of the agreement on Sunday.”
Antony Blinken
Similarly, White House National Security Spokesperson, John Kirby told a news agency that the US is “confident” that issues holding up the confirmation of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas can be resolved in time for it to start as planned on Sunday.
“We’re going to get there. We’re aware of these issues that the Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] has raised today, this afternoon, their time, and we’re working through that.
“Our team on the ground is actually working with him and his team to iron all this out and flatten it and get it moving forward.”
John Kirby
US representatives are still believed to be actively involved with talks in Doha on the final details needed to get the deal over the line.
“This has got to get approved by the Israeli government. Netanyahu knows that. He’s working through that process, but we’re confident that we will be able to solve these last-minute issues and get it moving, and that this ceasefire can take place starting on Sunday.”
John Kirby
Doubt Over Ceasefire Taking Effect
Meanwhile, Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador, told a news agency that while many Israelis are happy about the expected ceasefire, anxieties remain about whether it will take effect and hold, particularly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delaying approval of the deal.
“On the one hand everyone is happy; it’s time the war ends, the hostages will come back and even if it’s not an ideal or perfect deal, no deal is ever perfect and no end of war makes everyone happy.
“On the other hand, this happiness is somewhat subdued because people have doubts and anxieties as to whether or not the ceasefire will hold and, consequently, [whether] the second phase of the hostage deal [will] be completed.”
Alon Pinkas
He pointed to Netanyahu’s 11th-hour claims that Hamas is “reneging”, which the group denies. “So these anxieties are compounded,” Pinkas said, accusing Netanyahu of manufacturing a political crisis.
“This is a lot of grandstanding. What Mr Netanyahu is trying to do is to placate his extreme right-wing coalition partners by telling them, ‘Look, this is not what you think it is. The ceasefire might not hold. Don’t over-dramatise this, don’t leave the government.’”
Alon Pinkas
