And last I'll show you: why Israel delayed the cabinet meeting on Gaza

Israel has postponed a cabinet meeting that was supposed to convene to approve a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, Hamas abandoned clear agreements and began putting up obstacles at the last minute. The Palestinian movement denies the allegations, saying it is sticking to the agreement. Against this backdrop, the Jewish state's leadership continues to face internal pressure. What aspects of the agreement may slow down the settlement process - in the material of "Izvestia".

The Gaza deal may be postponed

Israel's security cabinet was scheduled to meet on January 16 to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal. This would have been an important step following the recent agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, the implementation of the agreement was in jeopardy. On the morning of January 16, the Jewish state accused the Palestinian movement of refusing to implement the agreements.

"Hamas is reneging on clear agreements agreed with the mediators and with Israel in an attempt to apply pressure at the last minute. Israel will not set a date for a cabinet and government meeting until the mediators report that Hamas has confirmed all the details of the agreement," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

For his part, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq denied reports that the movement had violated clauses of the agreement.

"Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators," he said.

Israel's negotiating team is still in Doha to agree on a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released. Only then will they return to Israel, so it is likely that a cabinet meeting will be convened later, Kan 11 TV reported earlier.

- Netanyahu's statements today appeal to the people and his public base. There are those there who oppose the agreement. [Israeli Finance Minister] Bezalel Smotrich said he will leave the government if the deal is formalized. If [Israeli National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and Smotrich leave this government, it will collapse. So Netanyahu's statements are aimed at an internal audience," Palestinian security expert Mohammed al-Masri told Izvestia.

The stumbling block appears to have been the issue of the release of Palestinian prisoners.

"Among other things, contrary to the specific clause that gives Israel the right to veto the release of mass murderers who are symbols of terrorism, Hamas is demanding to dictate the identities of these terrorists," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

A total of 583 people have been sentenced to life in Israeli prisons. Palestinian factions demanded in the first phase the release of 200 prisoners with life sentences. Names such as Abdullah Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat (secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and Marwan Barghouti (one of Fatah's leaders), among others, were mentioned.

- Israel has said that anyone released from this list must leave Palestine. This means they will go to Egypt, Turkey or Qatar. "It is now being discussed whether the name of Marwan Barghouti, Palestine's national hero, will be included in the first stage of the deal or whether it will be postponed until the second stage," Mohammed Al-Masri told Izvestia.

Meanwhile, at least 32 people have already been killed in Israeli strikes since the agreement was announced, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Agreement between Israel and Hamas

The deal was announced on the night of January 16. The day before, talks were held in a two-story building in Doha, with Hamas representatives on the first floor and Israeli negotiators on the second floor. Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttled between them, Al-Monitor wrote.

Egypt has made intensive diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict since the first day of the escalation, said Egyptian international relations specialist Tarek al-Bardisi.

- Egypt sought to achieve tangible results on several fronts, Cairo managed to push through the issue of introducing humanitarian aid to Gaza and buy obstacles from Israel," he told Izvestia.

Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani hopes the Gaza ceasefire agreement will help end suffering in the Strip.

"Qatar's diplomatic role in reaching this agreement has become our humanitarian duty rather than a political one, and we thank Egypt and the US for their valuable efforts," the emir wrote on social media.

The first phase of the deal calls for a six-week ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of IDF troops from central Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. At this stage, 33 captives in Gaza are to be released, including all women, children and men over the age of 50.

Negotiations on the implementation of the second phase will begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire. It is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, the establishment of a permanent ceasefire, and a complete withdrawal of the IDF, including from the Netzarim corridor dividing Gaza into two parts.

Still unclear is the issue of keeping Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Netanyahu's office has already said that reports of an IDF withdrawal from there are not true.

Israeli portal Ynet revealed technical details of the agreement. 210 Palestinians, among them women and children, will be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for seven civilian hostages, including two children. For five female soldiers held in Gaza, 250 prisoners will be released, of whom 150 are serving life sentences.

For nine sick and wounded hostages, 210 hostages will be released, including 110 with life sentences.

For 10 adult hostages, 300 Palestinians will be released. 107 captives are to be exchanged for Avera Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, and Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli citizen with Arab roots, held by Hamas since 2014. In addition, 1,000 Palestinians who have been in detention since October 8 and did not participate in the attack on Israel will be released.

Thus, a total of 290 Palestinians with life sentences and 1,687 other detainees will be released, but the final number depends on how many hostages are returned alive, the portal writes.

- According to my information, the agreement and a copy of the document were signed by both sides. The US, Egypt and Qatar have agreed to it. The implementation will begin on Sunday," Mohammed Al-Masri emphasized.

The head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip Khalil Al-Heya thanked Russia for the support of the Palestinian people. On January 15, Russian Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a telephone conversation with the deputy head of the movement's politburo, Moussa Abu-Marzouk.

The Russian authorities hope for the priority release of compatriots. Recall that Russian citizen Alexander Trufanov is being held in Gaza by the military wing of the "Islamic Jihad". Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donetsk, who, according to media reports, obtained Russian citizenship while in captivity, also remains a hostage.