US greenlights Israel to resume Gaza war if Hamas re-arms
Shafaq News/ The United States has given Israel the green light to resume fighting against Hamas if the group seeks to rearm itself, Israeli sources revealed on Friday.
A high-ranking political source stated that Israel received approval from both President Joe Biden’s administration and President-elect Donald Trump to resume combat if Hamas violates the agreement, re-arms, or resumes its activities in Gaza, according to the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.
The newspaper added that Israel has not made this information public, fearing that releasing it could lead Hamas to withdraw from the agreement.
A large portion of the demands from Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who had previously expressed opposition to the deal, was accepted, which increases the likelihood of him staying in the government, at least in the initial phase.
However, he remains firm on his condition that if Israel does not fight Hamas again, he will resign.
A senior government official told the newspaper that “after discussions with Smotrich, National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, will resign, but may return to the government later, while Smotrich will remain.”
On Wednesday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached regarding hostages in Gaza, with the hostages expected to be released soon.
A senior Hamas official confirmed to CNN that the group had agreed to the ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of hostages and had submitted its response to the mediators.
Under the terms of the agreement, reports state that all Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the specifics of which will be agreed upon by both sides.
The deal includes plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, with the opening of border crossings to allow the free movement of people and goods within the territory.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israeli warplanes launched intense overnight airstrikes on Gaza, killing 20 Palestinians.
“The occupation’s attacks have not stopped despite the ceasefire announcement,” Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told AFP. “The Israeli aggression is escalating, causing civilian casualties across the region.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Wednesday that the ongoing Israeli campaign, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, has resulted in 46,876 deaths and over 110,642 injuries in the enclave.
