Netanyahu warns of return to war in Gaza if phase 2 of agreement fails

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel would return to war in Gaza if the second phase of a prisoner swap and cease-fire agreement fails.

According to the agreement, negotiations for the second phase will begin on the sixteenth day of the first phase, which starts on January 19 and will last for 42 days, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

In this stage, Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, and 33 Israeli hostages will be released in exchange of a number of Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli security cabinet approved the prisoner swap and cease-fire agreement on January 17.

"We have received clear guarantees from Presidents Biden and Trump that if negotiations on phase two of the deal fail, and if Hamas does not accept our security demands, we will return to intense fighting with the support of the United States,” said Netanyahu during the cabinet meeting, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Netanyahu’s statements were aimed at appeasing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has threatened to withdraw from the government if Israel did not resume fighting after the first phase of the deal.

The far-right National Security Minister Itamer Ben-Gvir, meanwhile, had said on Thursday that his party, which has six seats in the 120-seat parliament, would quit the government if the deal was approved by the cabinet.

On January 15, Qatar announced the three-phase agreement to end over 15 months of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed more than 46,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

By Khagan Isayev