Why did Netanyahu finish the Gaza ceasefire?

The wave of Israeli strikes that killed a whole lot of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday (March 18, 2025) was the fruits of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to get out of the ceasefire with Hamas that he agreed to in January.

For the reason that begin of the struggle, Mr. Netanyahu has confronted dueling, probably incompatible pressures: Households of the hostages need him to chop a take care of Hamas to free them, whereas his far-right coalition companions need to proceed the struggle with the purpose of annihilating the militant group.

On Tuesday, he appeared to forged his lot with the latter — and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has backed Netanyahu’s choice to unilaterally stroll away from the ceasefire it took credit score for brokering.

Each Israel and america blame the renewed hostilities on Hamas’ refusal to launch extra hostages earlier than negotiations on ending the struggle proceed — which was not a part of the ceasefire settlement. Israel has accused Hamas of getting ready for brand spanking new assaults, with out offering proof. The militant group has denied these allegations.

Israel accuses Hamas of getting ready new assaults

Hamas — which has but to reply militarily to the Israeli strikes — has spent weeks calling for critical talks on the ceasefire settlement’s second part, which requires the discharge of the remaining dwelling hostages in alternate for extra Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a long-lasting ceasefire.

These talks have been supposed to start in early February. Now they might by no means occur.

The settlement reached in January, beneath stress from the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump one, referred to as for a phased ceasefire geared toward liberating all of the hostages kidnapped in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault and ending the struggle it triggered.

Additionally learn | Netanyahu threatens to finish Gaza ceasefire if Hamas doesn’t return hostages

Below the primary part, which ran from January 19 to March 1, Hamas launched 25 Israeli hostages and the our bodies of eight others in return for practically 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, together with senior militants serving life sentences for lethal assaults. Israeli forces pulled again to a buffer zone, a whole lot of 1000’s of Palestinians returned to what remained of their properties, and there was a surge of humanitarian assist.

Both sides accused the opposite of violations, and Israeli strikes killed dozens of Palestinians the army accused of partaking in militant actions or coming into no-go zones. However the truce held.

Nonetheless, the second part was all the time seen as far tougher.

By way of months of negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu had repeatedly forged doubt on it, insisting Israel was dedicated to returning all of the hostages and destroying Hamas’ army and governing capabilities — two struggle objectives that many consider are irreconcilable.

Recent strikes on Gaza to take care of Netanyahu’s grip on energy

In a TV interview final June, Mr. Netanyahu forged doubt on the opportunity of a long-lasting ceasefire earlier than Hamas is destroyed. “We’re dedicated to persevering with the struggle after a pause, to be able to full the objective of eliminating Hamas. I’m not keen to surrender on that,” he stated.

On January 18, the eve of the ceasefire, he stated “we reserve the precise to return to struggle if vital with the backing of america.”

Agreeing to a everlasting ceasefire would virtually actually plunge Mr. Netanyahu right into a political disaster that would finish his practically uninterrupted 15-year rule.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to depart the coalition if Mr. Netanyahu progressed to Section 2 as a substitute of restarting the offensive. Opposition events have promised to help him in any settlement that brings again hostages, however his coalition would nonetheless be severely weakened, making early elections doubtless.

By resuming the combating, Netanyahu ensured Mr. Smotrich’s continued help. After the strikes, the Israeli chief regained one other far-right accomplice, Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose celebration had bolted in January over the ceasefire however returned to the coalition Tuesday.

Past the political jockeying, Mr. Netanyahu’s acknowledged objective of annihilating Hamas would have virtually actually eluded him had he caught with the ceasefire settlement.

Hamas survived 15 months of Israeli bombardment and floor operations that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, based on native well being officers, and destroyed a lot of Gaza. When the truce took maintain, the militant group instantly reasserted its rule.

There’s no settlement on who ought to govern Gaza after the struggle, and even when the Western-backed Palestinian Authority have been granted nominal management, Hamas would have robust affect on the bottom and will rebuild its army capabilities.

For a lot of Israelis, particularly Mr. Netanyahu’s hawkish base and far-right allies, that may appear like defeat. It could add to the criticism he already faces over safety failures surrounding the October 7 assault, during which Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and kidnapped 251.

After the primary part ended, Mr. Netanyahu stated Israel had agreed to what he described as a brand new U.S. proposal during which Hamas would launch half the remaining hostages in return for a seven-week extension of the truce and a imprecise promise to launch negotiations over a long-lasting ceasefire.

Hamas refused, mentioning that the brand new proposal was completely different from the one they’d agreed to in January and once more referred to as for the rapid launch of talks on Section 2.

It even supplied to return an America-Israeli and the our bodies of 4 different hostages to get the talks again on observe, a suggestion dismissed as “psychological warfare” by Israel. Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, stated Hamas was claiming flexibility in public whereas making “completely impractical” calls for.

In an try to impose the brand new association on Hamas, Israel halted the import of all meals, gas and different humanitarian assist to Gaza. It later reduce off electrical energy, affecting a significant desalination plant. Israel additionally stated it could not withdraw from a strategic hall on Gaza’s border with Egypt, as stipulated within the settlement.

In current days, Israel stepped up strikes throughout Gaza, concentrating on individuals it stated have been planting explosives or partaking in different militant actions. On Tuesday, at round 2 a.m., it launched one of many deadliest waves of strikes because the begin of the struggle.

President Trump took credit score for brokering the ceasefire in January, however since then has appeared to bitter on it. He has warned that “all hell” will break free if Hamas doesn’t instantly launch the hostages, whereas saying that is a choice for Israel to make.

President Trump has additionally proposed that Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians be completely relocated so the U.S. can take possession of Gaza and develop it as a vacationer vacation spot. Netanyahu has embraced the plan, which has been universally condemned by Palestinians, Arab nations and human rights specialists, who say it could violate worldwide regulation.

The White Home stated it was consulted forward of Tuesday’s strikes and supported Israel’s choice.