Could Gaza deal fall apart? Expert opinion
Photo: Israel prepares for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip (Getty Images)
The collapse of agreements between Israel and Hamas regarding the Gaza Strip, following the announcement by mediators, would be an unexpected turn of events. However, some political forces oppose the deal, stated Israeli military observer David Sharp in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
According to him, Israel has not yet finalized the deal due to domestic political problems.
"There’s a coalition - or rather, two coalitions. For instance, one of the key parties is strongly against the deal. Specifically, a small, highly radical party is categorically opposed. Another larger party opposes the deal and the condition for support is a guarantee from the head of the government that only the first stage will take place. After that, it is necessary to return to the realization of the goal. It is important to allow at least the first stage to be implemented; after that, whatever happens, happens," Sharp explained.
He also said that it is difficult to assume that after all parties have reached an understanding, the first stage will be disrupted before it starts.
"However, its implementation is problematic from a technical perspective. There are numerous details, and everything must be executed simultaneously. There will be difficulties, but for the agreement to completely collapse is hard for me to imagine," the analyst concluded.
Gaza agreement and hostage release
Israeli, Arab, and several Western media outlets recently reported that Israel and Hamas, with the help of mediators, have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages.
According to the reports, the plan consists of three stages. During these stages, Hamas militants will release Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of imprisoned militants, a partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from the Gaza Strip (excluding the buffer zone), and international humanitarian aid.
The agreement is set to take effect on Sunday, January 19, with the first stage of implementation beginning on the same day.
For more details, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Today Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed a government meeting that was supposed to finalize the agreement with Hamas. The reason is that the militants refused some of the agreements at the last minute, and Israel is now waiting for Hamas's final consent from the mediators.
