Netanyahu threatens to resume war on Gaza, cabinet supports Trump's vision

Israel's Army Radio quoted sources as saying that the security cabinet supported US President Donald Trump's request to release Israeli detainees by Saturday and his vision for the future of the Gaza Strip.

After the meeting ended, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "If Hamas does not release our kidnapped soldiers by Saturday, the ceasefire will end and we will return to fighting in a strong way."

He added: "We bless President Trump's position and his revolutionary vision regarding Gaza."

A lengthy cabinet meeting that lasted for 4 hours ended - according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper - and was devoted to discussing mechanisms for managing the crisis with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) following its recent announcement to postpone the return of Israeli prisoners.

Israeli Cabinet member Eli Cohen said that "Hamas' statements are a violation of the deal," stressing that "blackmailing Israel will not happen," he said.

In turn, the newspaper "Israel Today" quoted sources as saying that the Ministerial Council may have approved re-establishing the rules for the next stages of the agreement and evacuating the residents of Gaza.

Earlier, the newspaper said that the council meeting was delayed due to the extension of security consultations held by Netanyahu this morning with leaders of the security and military establishment.

She pointed out that the cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss the Israeli position on the second phase of the deal and the powers that would be granted to the negotiating team, but the meeting discussed new developments following Hamas’ announcement of postponing the implementation of the sixth installment of the first phase, which could threaten the continuation of the deal.

The newspaper said that a number of cabinet ministers decided to submit a request to discuss mechanisms for exploiting the US President's statements regarding the prisoners held in Gaza, and his threat to escalate if they are not released next Saturday.

For its part, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that Netanyahu intends to request approval of the Israeli conditions related to the second phase of negotiations from the ministers.

Channel 12 quoted officials as saying, "Hamas violated the agreement, and there will be no progress or negotiations on the second stage without the return of the hostages."

The channel added that the Ministerial Council expects the release of the nine prisoners within days, according to the first phase agreement.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that Israeli protesters are closing a street in the Gaza Strip to demand the release of prisoners and the continuation of the deal.

In Jerusalem, Israeli police dispersed demonstrators who gathered in front of the entrance to the Prime Minister's Office to demand that the government complete the exchange deal.

The demonstrators tried to storm the Prime Minister's office where the cabinet meeting was being held, raising slogans demanding that the government implement the ceasefire agreement and implement the deal in all its stages, stressing that this is the way to return all prisoners.

Hamas is committed

Meanwhile, Maariv newspaper quoted sources as saying that the Israeli defense establishment believes that Hamas has not violated the ceasefire agreement yet.

According to the sources, it is highly doubtful that Israel will be able to take steps against the movement at this stage.

In the same context, the New York Times quoted Israeli officials and mediators as saying that Hamas's talk about Israel not fulfilling its promises in the first phase is accurate, noting that Israel did not commit to sending hundreds of thousands of tents to Gaza among other supplies.

Israeli officials believed that this aspect of the conflict could be resolved if Israel allowed more aid into Gaza.

The New York Times quoted Israeli officials as saying, "Our delegation listened to a Qatari proposal regarding the next stage and then announced that it would return to Israel."

The newspaper also quoted the same source as saying that the Israeli delegation to Doha consists of 3 officials who had never negotiated and were only listeners, noting that they listened to a Qatari proposal regarding the next stage and then announced that he would return to Israel.

This comes at a time when Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi threatened Hamas, saying, "The time has come to open the gates of hell on them without any restrictions on our soldiers."

US President Donald Trump threatened yesterday, Monday, to "open the gates of hell" and cancel the ceasefire if the Israeli prisoners from Gaza were not released "all at once by 12 noon on Saturday" next.

Trump's statement came after Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, announced that the occupation had not adhered to the terms of the agreement, and therefore the handover of the Israeli prisoners scheduled to be released next Saturday would be postponed until further notice.

Abu Obeida said that the resistance leadership had monitored during the past three weeks "the enemy's violations and failure to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement" and the delay in the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip and targeting them with shelling and gunfire.

Source: Al Jazeera