US To Let Israel Restart Military Operations in Gaza After First Phase of Ceasefire Deal

The US is ready to guarantee that it would allow Israel to restart the genocidal war in Gaza after the first phase of any hostage and ceasefire deal that might be reached with Hamas, according to Israeli media reports.

Hostage deal talks have been stalled since the Israeli killing of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, and it’s unclear when they will resume, but the US and Israel have been discussing potential proposals.

According to The Times of Israel, a proposal that’s been discussed would involve three phases where Israel would halt its military operations and Hamas would release hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a guarantee that he’ll be able to restart military operations after the first phase, which is when negotiations will be held on implementing the next two phases.

The US has not yet provided a written agreement that it would allow Israel to restart operations but has expressed its approval of the idea. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the US wouldn’t give the guarantee in writing until an agreement is reached with Hamas.

The Israeli condition could make Hamas less likely to agree to a deal since one of its main demands has been a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. During previous negotiations, Hamas had agreed to language that was vague enough that Israel could accept without actually committing to a permanent ceasefire. But it’s unclear if Hamas would agree to a deal where Israel gets an explicit guarantee from the US that it could restart military operations.

In the weeks and months leading up to Haniyeh’s assassination, Netanyahu had been working to sabotage the chances of a deal. After Hamas made the concession that it wouldn’t seek a guarantee for a permanent ceasefire upfront, Netanyahu began making new public demands that Mossad Director David Barnea, the Israeli official in charge of the talks, said would thwart an agreement.