A ceasefire in Gaza, aimed at ending the genocide in the enclave, is set to begin on Sunday at 8:30 AM (GMT+2). As part of the agreement, a group of Palestinian detainees will be released in return for three Israeli captives.

If the process moves smoothly, a total of 33 captives held in Gaza will be returned to the occupied territories during an initial 42-day truce. Additionally, hundreds of Palestinian detainees are expected to be released from Israeli jails. 
 
The ceasefire is intended to pave the way to an end to more than 15 months of the Israeli war on the enclave. 
 
This comes after Qatar, the United States, and Egypt brokered a deal following months of unsuccessful talks. It also coincides with the day before Donald Trump's inauguration as president of the United States.

'US to back any attack on Gaza': Netanyahu 

In a televised speech on Saturday, Netanyahu responded to recent media reports regarding plans to withdraw Israeli occupation troops from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border as part of the agreement, Netanyahu claimed that "Israel" will instead increase its military presence in the area.

He further said that "Israel" will retain control over the corridor and the entire so-called buffer zone surrounding the Palestinian enclave to allegedly prevent the smuggling of weapons and the removal of captives. 

In the event of the failure of second-phase negotiations, Netanyahu said the Israeli occupation forces would be directed to renew the aggression on Gaza, with the support of the US administration. 

"Both [outgoing US] President [Joe] Biden and [incoming US] President [Donald] Trump supported Israel's right to resume military actions if Israel decides that the talks on the second phase are fruitless," he stated, adding that the offensive would take on a new font and "greater power."

Smotrich says Gaza deal a 'catastrophe'

The Gaza ceasefire deal is a "catastrophic agreement", Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Saturday. 

In a speech, Smotrich expressed sharp criticism of Netanyahu and the newly approved deal for the release of captives, labeling it as a catastrophic agreement that jeopardizes national security and undermines the "progress" achieved during the war.

Although his vehement opposition to the establishment of the ceasefire bore no fruits, he emphasized his commitment to ensuring the war’s objectives remained intact, particularly the impossible goal of dismantling the Hamas Resistance movement in Gaza.

The far-right minister also revealed that before the agreement was approved, he had firmly advocated for the gradual takeover and occupation of Gaza to gain comprehensive control over the territory and halt humanitarian aid from allegedly reaching Hamas. 

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