In his first televised speech since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement may be temporary and Israel retains the right to resume Gaza fighting. “If we must return to fighting we will do that in new, forceful ways,” Netanyahu said.

He claimed that he has support from both the Biden and Trump administrations. “President Trump and President Biden have given full backing to Israel’s right to return to combat if Israel concludes that negotiations on Phase B are futile,” he stressed.

Earlier, he threatened that his country would not proceed with the ceasefire until it receives a list of the 33 captives who are expected to be released in the first phase of the deal.

The deal was approved after more than 460 days of war in which Israeli forces killed more than 46,788 Palestinians and wounded 110,453.

It would see the release of 33 captives held in Gaza over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.

Hamas has said that it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Also in his speech, Netanyahu averred that Israel had set certain conditions prior to accepting the deal, including retaining access to the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow band along Gaza’s border with Egypt, and a buffer zone along the Gaza border.

He noted that its military will retain control of those areas and increase its presence.

According to him, the ceasefire deal was concluded because Hamas changed its stance towards it, after the Israeli army weakened the Iran axis by killing senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. “Because of this, Hamas agreed to conditions that had been rejected in the past,” he stated.

In comments posted on X shortly after giving a lengthy speech, Netanyahu reiterated that Israelis are “victorious” as they “refuse to surrender to those who rise up against us to destroy us.”

“I tell you – the campaign is not over yet. A long and challenging journey lies ahead of us. This is not the time to divide and scatter, this is the time to unite and connect.”
Benjamin Netanyahu

However, Sami al-Arian, Director of the Centre for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, described the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech as “a bunch of lies.”

“This is a person who vowed to end Hamas, to crush Hamas, to dismantle Hamas, to destroy Hamas … all these were his objectives, and yet, now he is negotiating with Hamas.

“We have the same deal that he had rejected back in May and July. Every single item that Hamas agreed to in May is part of this agreement, both in structure and in substance.”
Sami al-Arian

He asserted that it was Hamas all along that had set five conditions that had to be in the deal that they would sign; “every single one of these five conditions is in the agreement today.”

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire In Gaza To Take Effect On Sunday Morning

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari announced in a post on X that the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will take effect at 08:30am (06:30 GMT) on Sunday, January 18, 2025.

“Based on the agreement between the parties … the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30am on Sunday. We advise our brothers to take precautions, exercise the utmost caution, and await instructions from official sources.”
Majed al-Ansari

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli government ratified the agreement after meeting for more than six hours, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a brief statement.