Netanyahu: Trump vows support for Gaza military action if ceasefire is broken
Shafaq News/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed his government that US President-elect Donald Trump had pledged “full support” for resuming military action in Gaza if Hamas breaches the ceasefire agreement, Israeli media reported.
Israeli assessments suggested that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, “pressured” Netanyahu to agree to a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage exchange deal. In exchange, Trump reportedly pledged a "package of gifts" for Israel, including backing for future military actions and expanded settlement construction in the West Bank.
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported, “Netanyahu told the cabinet Trump would release all previously suspended weapons after his inauguration.”
Ronen Bergman, an investigative journalist and intelligence analyst for the newspaper, suggested that Trump’s move was intended to “reassure coalition parties and the pro-settlement right-wing bloc, ensuring the agreement's full implementation and preventing the collapse of Netanyahu's government during the conflict,” noting that the "gifts" were not explicitly outlined in the agreements but were based on mutual interests.
“The West Bank would be one of the prices that far-right parties would extract,” Bergman believed. The Religious Zionist Party is allegedly expected to gain US approval for extensive settlement projects in exchange for supporting the ceasefire, potentially paving the way for the partial annexation of West Bank territories under Israeli authority.
Meanwhile, the Mossad chief pointed out that the deal includes “mechanisms to ensure our security and tools for resuming military actions if Hamas fails to comply." The Israeli army is reportedly preparing to implement the agreement with a "defensive plan" in Gaza, while also reinforcing forces in the West Bank.
On the 470th day of the war on Gaza, the Israeli government approved the hostage exchange and ceasefire deal, with 24 ministers in favor and eight opposing it. Despite the agreement, Israel carried out four massacres in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 88 fatalities and 189 injuries in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023, has resulted in 46,876 deaths and 110,642 injuries, mostly women and children.
