Gaza ceasefire: Netanyahu says Israel reserves right to resume war, cites support from Biden and Trump (WATCH)

“If we must return to fighting, we will do that in new, forceful ways,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is not yet over. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that Israel is prepared to resume military operations in Gaza if the ongoing ceasefire agreement with Hamas fails to achieve its objectives.

While addressing the nation on Saturday evening, Netanyahu described the ceasefire as temporary and underscored the government's commitment to securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

“If we must return to fighting, we will do that in new, forceful ways,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is not yet over. He highlighted that both US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have expressed support for Israel's right to resume hostilities if the agreement's next stages are unfulfilled.

Closing his remarks, Netanyahu outlined the successes of the military campaign over the last 15 months - including the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas.

"We changed the face of the Middle East," Netanyahu said. As a result of that, he added, Hamas is now "completely alone" on that front.

Netanyahu further stated that in the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, they were able to get the Palestinian militant group to agree on conditions that they had not agreed to in the past.

He then thanked the country for their support throughout the last 15 months of war.

Ceasefire Agreement Details

The ceasefire, set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Gaza time (6:30 a.m. GMT) on Sunday, was approved by the Israeli cabinet following a six-hour meeting that extended into the early hours of Saturday. As part of the agreement, 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages are expected to be released by Hamas. In return, Israel will free approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

In an earlier statement, Netanyahu stated that the ceasefire process would not proceed until Hamas delivers the names of the hostages to be released. “Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. The sole responsibility lies with Hamas,” he said.

Hamas has indicated that the release of Israeli hostages will depend on the number of Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, praised the ceasefire, describing it as a testament to Palestinian resistance.

The Israeli military reported intercepting two missiles fired from Yemen on Saturday, underscoring the broader regional tensions.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,899 Palestinians and injured 110,725 since October 7, 2023.