Netanyahu Announces Ceasefire – Deceptive Calm for the Middle East?

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that an agreement with Hamas to end hostilities in the Gaza Strip is finalized. The ceasefire, expected to begin on Sunday, has been supported by US President Joe Biden and his successor Donald Trump. On Friday morning, Netanyahu stated that he had instructed his security cabinet to convene for a meeting during the day to approve the recently agreed ceasefire. It was on shaky ground on Thursday when allegations arose that Hamas had not fulfilled certain commitments. Netanyahu insists that his cabinet will only meet once all elements of the agreement are accepted by Hamas. The agreement stipulates that in the first, six-week phase of the truce, the release of 33 of the approximately 98 hostages still held in Gaza should occur. In return, Israel will withdraw from populated areas of Palestinian territory and release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. US President Biden emphasizes that he wishes for the ceasefire to be a permanent end to hostilities, to strengthen Israel's diplomatic relations with Arab states, including Saudi Arabia. Within Israel, however, there is skepticism, not least because numerous politicians, including right-wing ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, insist that the war must continue until Hamas is completely dismantled. Particularly explosive: the ceasefire is set to begin just before Trump's inauguration at the White House. Both Trump and Biden had pushed intensively for the agreement, viewed as crucial to finally bringing a solution after months of stalled negotiations. Amid these geopolitical developments, the Israeli stock market recorded a significant increase, with a gain of 4.4% this week, making it one of the best performances worldwide.