Ahead of ceasefire, Netanyahu says Israel reserves 'right to resume war if necessary' with US support

The first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel begins at 8:30 am (local time) on Sunday, with both sides indicating that a hostages-for-prisoners exchange will occur after 4:00 pm.
A protester holds up a banner depicting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reading "War Criminal" during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, on January 10, 2025.
A protester holds up a banner depicting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reading "War Criminal" during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, on January 10, 2025.FILE | AFP
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A day before the ceasefire is set to take effect in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday claimed that his country reserves "right to resume war if necessary", with support from the US.

"We reserve the right to resume the war if necessary, with American support," Netanyahu said in a televised statement, as he pledged to bring home all hostages held in the Palestinian territory.

"We are thinking of all our hostages...I promise you that we will achieve all our objectives and bring back all the hostages," he said.

Netanyahu added that the 42-day first phase, was a "temporary ceasefire."

"If we are forced to resume the war, we will do so with force," the Israeli PM said, adding that Israel had "changed the face of the Middle East" since the war began.

The pause in 15 months of war is a step toward ending the deadliest, most destructive fighting ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group — and comes more than a year after the only other ceasefire achieved.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 am local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced on Saturday.

Both sides have hinted that an exchange of hostages for prisoners will happen only after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.

Earlier, Netanyahu demanded that Hamas provide a list of names of hostages to be freed on Sunday before any prisoner swap takes place.

"We will be unable to move forward with the framework until we receive the list of the hostages who will be released, as was agreed," his office said.

His statement came almost three hours after Israel had expected to receive the names, which Hamas was to give to mediator Qatar.

There was no immediate response from Hamas or Qatar.

A protester holds up a banner depicting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reading "War Criminal" during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, on January 10, 2025.
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Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has said an initial 42-day ceasefire would see 33 hostages released by militants in Gaza.

Sheikh Mohammed told Sky News the framework signed this week was the same as one agreed on December 23, adding it amounted to "13 months of a waste of negotiating details."

The truce is to take effect on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term as US president.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has completed preparations "to assume full responsibility in Gaza" after the war.

Israel has expressed no definitive stance on post-war governance beyond rejecting any role for either Hamas or the PA, while Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Gaza should be under PA control.

The overnight approval of the ceasefire deal by Israel's Cabinet, in a rare meeting during the Jewish Sabbath, set off a flurry of activity and a fresh wave of emotions as relatives wondered whether hostages would be returned alive or dead.

The approval came despite eight ministers voting against it, including far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Ahead of the truce, displaced Gazans prepared to return home.

"I will go to kiss my land," said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled his home in Gaza City for a camp further south. "If I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person."

Jerusalem residents said the deal had been a long time coming.

"Hopefully a maximum amount of hostages will be coming back", said Beeri Yemeni, a university student. "Maybe this is the beginning of (the) end of suffering for both sides, hopefully," he said, adding that "the war needed to end like a long long time ago."

Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

A protester holds up a banner depicting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reading "War Criminal" during a demonstration in Warsaw, Poland, on January 10, 2025.
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