Netanyahu Ceasefire: Guardian Analysis & Caution

Despite the scenes of joy and relief with the announcement of a new ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), many still view the agreement with caution due to previous experiences that quickly ended in devastating rounds of violence.

Writer Ben Rief believes – in an article in the British newspaper The Guardian – that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu This agreement was not signed out of faith in peace or respect for the rights of the Palestinians, but out of pure self-interest.

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Corruption charges

The writer pointed out that the man who is facing trial inside Israel on serious corruption charges seeks to remain in power at any cost, even if it costs him to radically change his alliances or policies, stressing that Netanyahu is adept at manipulating political discourse, and often keeps his options open.

Ben Raif pointed out that Netanyahu is promoting the new agreement as a step towards ending the war, but at the same time, he divides its provisions into stages that allow him to evade his obligations later, and those close to him have already begun to downplay the importance of any “second stage,” stressing that the agreement is nothing more than an agreement to release prisoners.

The writer said that a bad agreement may be better than no agreement at all, noting that the presence of US President Donald Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the helm of Gaza‘s future means that this was undoubtedly a bad agreement, but what is particularly worrying is the change in official rhetoric.

Only first stage?

The writer explained that the official speech suggests that things may be getting worse, because Trump’s announcement last Wednesday evening says that what has been agreed upon is only the “first phase,” a phrase reminiscent of the January agreement that Israel drafted in a way that paves the way for the resumption of the war after the release of a number of hostages.

Over the years – as the writer says – Netanyahu worked to undermine any path towards establishing a Palestinian state, and strengthened his relations with extremist religious movements to ensure his political survival, and with the deterioration of his popularity to its lowest levels, and the attacks of October 7, 2023, he resorted to waging a devastating war on Gaza without clear goals, in the hope of restoring his internal prestige.

Now, with the failure of his plans to empty Gaza of its residents, and Israel’s international isolation increasing, Netanyahu has returned to changing his tactics – as the writer sees – and has begun to see in the ceasefire, with the elections approaching, a way to portray himself as a peacemaker, alongside Trump, whom he promotes as the main mediator in the agreement.

Netanyahu now believes that he can gain more from declaring “comprehensive victory” in Gaza and riding the wave of re-election than he will from continuing the war.

It seems that Netanyahu has come to believe that he can gain more from declaring a “comprehensive victory” in Gaza and riding the wave of his re-election, than he will achieve from continuing the war, and if he loses the extremist wing in his coalition, he may be able to form a new alliance with old partners under the slogan of “national responsibility,” according to the writer.

Although the agreement gives rise to hope, the writer warns against repeating the scenario of previous agreements that quickly collapsed, stressing the need for the international community to bear its responsibility, not only in ensuring the implementation of the agreement, but also in confronting the ongoing Israeli violations, especially in the West Bank, where the displacement of Palestinians continues without deterrence.

Ben Raif concluded that simply stopping the war is not enough. Rather, accountability, justice, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the liberation of the Palestinians from the occupation must be basic goals, not just slogans that are forgotten after taking official photos.