Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his method to the USA to debate the second part of the ceasefire agreed with Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, his workplace says.
Negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire are resulting from start in Washington, DC on Monday, Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned on Sunday because the Israeli chief departed for the US.
US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit score for the ceasefire deal signed on January 19, is anticipated to host Netanyahu on the White Home on Tuesday – Trump’s first assembly with a international chief since his inauguration for a second time period.
Netanyahu’s US journey comes two weeks into the first part of the ceasefire that’s set to free 33 Israeli captives in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second part is anticipated to cowl the discharge of the remaining captives and to incorporate discussions on a extra everlasting finish to the conflict.
The Gaza ceasefire paused 15 months of an Israeli genocide within the enclave that killed greater than 47,000 Palestinians, greater than half of them girls and kids, in keeping with native well being authorities.
Talking at Tel Aviv airport earlier than his departure, Netanyahu mentioned he and Trump would talk about “victory over Hamas, attaining the discharge of all our hostages and coping with the Iranian terror axis” within the Center East.
Netanyahu referred to as it “telling” that he could be the primary international chief to satisfy Trump since his inauguration. “I feel it’s a sworn statement to the energy of the Israeli-American alliance,” he mentioned.
Additionally it is Netanyahu’s first US journey for the reason that Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) issued an arrest warrant towards him in November for alleged conflict crimes dedicated within the Gaza Strip.
The US, which has beforehand praised the ICC choice to subject a warrant towards Russian President Vladimir Putin in relation to the Ukraine conflict, will not be a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court docket.
Senior US politicians are making an attempt to sanction the worldwide court docket over the arrest warrants of Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and have threatened to blacklist its prime prosecutors and their households.
Fragile ceasefire
How dedicated Trump and Netanyahu are to advancing the ceasefire stays to be seen. Netanyahu is underneath immense stress from his far-right authorities companions to desert the deal after the primary part and restart the assaults on Gaza.
Trump, for his half, has given combined indicators on the prospect of a everlasting finish to the conflict. Requested on January 20, shortly after being sworn in, if he was assured the truce in Gaza would maintain, he mentioned: “I’m not assured.”
“It’s not our conflict, it’s their conflict,” he added.
Extra lately, Trump has additionally proposed to ethnically “clear out” Gaza, insisting Arab states Egypt and Jordan ought to soak up displaced Palestinians from the enclave, a prospect they roundly rejected.
Scott Lucas, professor of worldwide politics at College Faculty Dublin, instructed Al Jazeera the second part of the Gaza deal faces stress from a number of sides. He mentioned Israeli captives nonetheless held in Gaza and Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons would solely be launched if parts of the second part of the Gaza ceasefire might stay in place.
“Right here, you’re speaking about 4 sides of stress round Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump,” he mentioned.
There may be stress from the laborious proper in Israel, particularly from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from inside the cupboard and former Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, he mentioned.
“They don’t need a part two. They need a army authorities in Gaza, they need displacement of Palestinians, and so they’re truly speaking about returning to conflict already.”
Then there’s stress from parts in Israel who suppose their precedence must be the return of all captives.
Alternatively, Lucas mentioned, Hamas will proceed to withstand Israeli efforts to remove the group from Gaza, and Palestinians are rejecting army occupation.
“Fourth is Donald Trump, who needs to be a peacemaker, however who can also be staunchly pro-Israel to the extent that his resolution to convey peace is to ship all of the Gaza residents to Egypt and Jordan. So there’s no method to sq. these 4 sides to get a part two at this level.”
Occupied West Financial institution settlements
Additionally on the agenda throughout Netanyahu’s go to may very well be Israel’s unlawful settlements within the occupied West Financial institution. Smotrich, who opposes the ceasefire and is a vocal settlement advocate, urged Netanyahu to lift the difficulty.
“We should strengthen our grip and sovereignty over the homeland in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich mentioned in a message directed at Netanyahu, referring to the occupied West Financial institution.
Netanyahu’s early assembly with Trump marks a transparent departure from his ties with the earlier US administration, which, regardless of being Israel’s largest arms provider, had criticised its conflict conduct and paused some army shipments.
Trump has declared himself probably the most pro-Israel president in US historical past and appointed senior diplomats who brazenly help far-right Israeli factions, together with their push to annex the occupied West Financial institution.
