Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated his pledge to force Hamas to disarm in a defiant televised address, delivered just an hour after a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister said the enclave would be demilitarised 'the easy way or the hard way', and warned that Israel would return to war if necessary.
The ceasefire deal, signed on Thursday and implemented on Friday, will see Hamas release 20 living hostages within 72 hours, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza, and the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Further stages of the agreement remain unclear.
Analysts described the speech as an election address, with observers expecting a vote within six months. Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House said Mr Netanyahu was 'always campaigning'. A survey published on Friday by the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv showed the current coalition would still face defeat by a wide margin, despite a slight boost for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party.
Mr Netanyahu faces significant challenges beyond the ceasefire. He is fighting corruption charges that could lead to a ban from public office or jail, and is under pressure for a full judicial inquiry into the security failures of the 7 October 2023 Hamas raid. The raid killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, triggering the war.
The prime minister's political survival depends on convincing Israelis he remains 'Mr Security' despite the worst security disaster in the country's history. A ringing endorsement from Donald Trump, expected when the US president-elect addresses the Knesset on Monday, may bolster his position.
