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Gaza Ceasefire Traps Netanyahu between Trump and Far-right Allies

This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
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Gaza Ceasefire Traps Netanyahu between Trump and Far-right Allies

This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)

Even before it was signed, the Gaza ceasefire forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a tight spot - between a new US president promising peace and far-right allies who want war to resume. That tension is only likely to increase.
The stakes for Netanyahu are high -- keeping his coalition government on the one hand and on the other, satisfying US President Donald Trump who wants to use the ceasefire momentum to expand Israel's diplomatic ties in the Middle East.
One of Netanyahu's nationalist allies has already quit over the Gaza ceasefire, and another is threatening to follow unless war on Hamas is resumed at an even greater force than that which devastated much of Gaza for 15 months.
The clock is ticking. The first stage of the ceasefire is meant to last six weeks. By day 16 -- Feb. 4 -- Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are due to start negotiating the second phase of the ceasefire, whose stated aim is to end the war.
Former police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party quit the government on Sunday and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he will stay in government only if war resumes after the first phase until the total defeat of Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
"We must go back in a completely different style. We need to conquer Gaza, instate a military rule there, even if temporarily, to start encouraging (Palestinian) emigration, to start taking territory from our enemies and to win," Smotrich said in an interview with Channel 14 on Sunday.
Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, however, said on Wednesday he was focused on ensuring the deal moves from the first to second phase, which is expected to include a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
"Netanyahu is pressed between the far-right and Donald Trump," said political analyst Amotz Asa-El, with the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. "Netanyahu's coalition now is fragile and the likelihood that it will fall apart sometime in the course of 2025 is high."
Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Witkoff told Fox News on Wednesday that he will be on the ground overseeing the ceasefire, a signal that he will keep up the pressure he applied during the deal's negotiations.
According to six US, Israeli, Egyptian and other Mideast officials who spoke to Reuters in the run-up to the ceasefire announcement on Jan. 15, Witkoff played a crucial role in getting the deal over the line.
The ceasefire's first phase includes the release of hostages, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and aid flow into Gaza.
The second phase, if it happens, would include the release of remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. A third phase is expected to start Gaza's reconstruction, overseen by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
One of the most difficult issues involved in negotiating the next phases is post-war Gaza's governance. Israel won't accept Hamas staying in power. Hamas so far has not given ground.
Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday, that Hamas will never govern Gaza and if it reneges on the deal, Washington will support Israel "in doing what it has to do."
On Saturday, after his government signed off on the ceasefire, Netanyahu said Israel had US backing to resume fighting if the second stage talks prove futile, leaving himself some political leeway with Smotrich, for now.
"If we need to go back to the fighting, we will do so in new ways and with great force," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

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Arab World

Damascus, SDF Move to Close Political Detainee File

Former detainees released from Alaya Prison, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Qamishli, in February (Al-Furat). 
Former detainees released from Alaya Prison, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Qamishli, in February (Al-Furat). 
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Damascus, SDF Move to Close Political Detainee File

Former detainees released from Alaya Prison, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Qamishli, in February (Al-Furat). 
Former detainees released from Alaya Prison, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Qamishli, in February (Al-Furat). 

Syrian authorities are working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to close the file of political detainees held by both sides, as part of ongoing coordination between Damascus and the Kurdish-led force.

Families in al-Hasakah province recently demanded the release of relatives from Alaya Prison in Qamishli, which remains under SDF control. Local sources said prison officials told families that no detainees remained at the facility and that some prisoners had been transferred to Iraq last month along with other Syrian inmates under a bilateral arrangement reportedly mediated by Washington.

At the same time, the Syrian government is preparing to resolve the broader detainee issue linked to the SDF. A presidential team operating in al-Hasakah is compiling lists of prisoners held by the SDF in preparation for their release. In return, Damascus is expected to free a new group of detainees held by the government in the coming days.

Video circulating online showed families gathering outside Alaya Prison seeking information about their relatives. The Hasakah Media Center said SDF personnel told them the prison held no detainees and that those previously held had been transferred to Iraq on terrorism-related charges.

Families told the outlet that some detainees had been arrested by the SDF for raising the Syrian flag, displaying images of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, or posting comments on social media.

Local reports, however, suggest some prisoners may still be held in Alaya. The SDF had previously transferred detainees there from al-Hasakah Central Prison, widely known as Ghuwayran Prison, before it was handed over to government authorities. Other detention sites include prisons in al-Aqtaan and al-Shaddadi.

Alaya Prison has been one of the SDF’s main detention facilities for individuals accused of criminal, security, or political offenses. According to available figures, it previously held about 1,000 detainees, most of whom have since been released.

A second round of prisoner releases involving SDF detainees is expected soon. Brigadier General Ziad al-Ayesh, the Syrian presidential envoy overseeing implementation of the January 29, 2026 agreement between Damascus and the SDF, said the process would include individuals previously detained during clashes with government forces in earlier “law-enforcement operations.”

In an interview with Syrian Al-Ikhbariah TV, al-Ayesh said the Syrian state intends to take over prisons formerly controlled by the SDF. Their administration would be transferred to the Interior Ministry and placed under judicial supervision by the Justice Ministry to ensure full state oversight.

He added that Damascus is also working with the SDF to release all political detainees, prisoners of conscience, and those detained in connection with events during the years of the Syrian uprising.

On March 10, the Syrian government and the SDF exchanged the release of 200 detainees. Al-Ayesh stated that Damascus aims to close the detainee file as part of a broader “national integration” process intended to promote reconciliation and strengthen the country’s unity.

Meanwhile, in remarks during a funeral for SDF fighters in Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said that the group is working to return about 300 prisoners to the Syrian government in the coming days, as well as recover the bodies of fighters killed in recent clashes.

Further releases are expected before Nowruz on March 21, which Syria will celebrate this year for the first time as an official national holiday under Decree No. 17.

 

 

 

Arab World

Iraq Warns Drone Strikes Could Trigger al-Qaeda Prison Break

Mourners pray by the caskets of two slain fighters from Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah), who were killed in a strike on their site in Baghdad's al-Jadriya area, during their funeral at the shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP)
Mourners pray by the caskets of two slain fighters from Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah), who were killed in a strike on their site in Baghdad's al-Jadriya area, during their funeral at the shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP)
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Iraq Warns Drone Strikes Could Trigger al-Qaeda Prison Break

Mourners pray by the caskets of two slain fighters from Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah), who were killed in a strike on their site in Baghdad's al-Jadriya area, during their funeral at the shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP)
Mourners pray by the caskets of two slain fighters from Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah), who were killed in a strike on their site in Baghdad's al-Jadriya area, during their funeral at the shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP)

Iraq’s Ministry of Justice warned Sunday that repeated drone attacks near Baghdad International Airport pose a danger to a nearby prison holding high-risk al-Qaeda inmates.

In a statement, the ministry said areas around the airport and Airport Prison - also known as Karkh Central Prison near Abu Ghraib - have been struck several times in recent days. The most serious attack occurred late Saturday, when projectiles landed close to the facility.

“Some of these strikes occurred near the prison, raising concerns about the security of a facility that houses highly dangerous terrorist prisoners,” the ministry said.

Authorities stressed that security measures remain in place but warned that projectiles landing nearby could disrupt precautionary plans or damage prison infrastructure.

The attacks targeted the Logistics Support Center at Baghdad airport, which has faced multiple drone strikes in recent days. The facility is located near Victoria Base, where US military advisers are stationed. Karkh Central Prison, next to the airport, is believed to hold al-Qaeda members transferred from Syria to Iraq.

A security source said inmates have been chanting slogans inside the prison whenever drones strike nearby, apparently hoping the attacks might create an opportunity to escape.

Electricity to the prison was also cut after unidentified attackers struck the al-Zaytoun power station, which supplies the facility, the source said. Authorities activated backup generators to maintain operations.

The source warned the situation could echo the 2013 prison break, when hundreds of militants escaped Iraqi prisons and later helped extremist groups seize large parts of Iraq in 2014 after advancing from Syria.

An Iraqi security official said air defenses at the Logistics Support Center, formerly Camp Victoria, engaged three explosive-laden drones on Saturday evening.

The drones were shot down near the US facility and the Martyr Mohammed Alaa Air Base, the source said, without providing details on casualties or damage. Another drone approaching the airport earlier Saturday was also intercepted.

Political Reaction

Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite political factions, condemned what it described as attacks targeting positions of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other security units that left several personnel dead or wounded.

The bloc said the strikes violate Iraq’s sovereignty and threaten national stability, while reiterating opposition to attacks on state infrastructure and diplomatic missions.

The statement came hours after a strike killed three PMF members at a site in Baghdad, followed by a rocket attack on the US Embassy in the capital.

Calls to Review US Security Pact

Meanwhile, Shiite lawmakers are pushing to cancel the US-Iraq security agreement signed in 2009 under former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

MP Saqr Hassan of the Sadiqoun bloc said he had collected more than 170 parliamentary signatures requesting that the agreement’s cancellation be debated in the next session. He added the move was prompted by what lawmakers describe as US violations of the agreement, calling recent actions “a betrayal and an unjustified attack.”

Lawmakers are also awaiting a decision from parliamentary leaders on holding a special session to debate canceling the pact and possibly closing the US Embassy in Baghdad.

Arab World

Lebanon–Israel Talks: A ‘Political Declaration’ and Return to UN Resolution 1701?

Two Israeli soldiers walk past a large billboard in central Tel Aviv reading “Thank you God and Donald Trump” (Reuters). 
Two Israeli soldiers walk past a large billboard in central Tel Aviv reading “Thank you God and Donald Trump” (Reuters). 
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Lebanon–Israel Talks: A ‘Political Declaration’ and Return to UN Resolution 1701?

Two Israeli soldiers walk past a large billboard in central Tel Aviv reading “Thank you God and Donald Trump” (Reuters). 
Two Israeli soldiers walk past a large billboard in central Tel Aviv reading “Thank you God and Donald Trump” (Reuters). 

Hopes for imminent negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have been tempered after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sunday that no talks are expected in the coming days, despite reports suggesting discussions could begin this week on a French-backed plan to end the conflict.

France’s Foreign Ministry also said there was no French initiative currently on the table, casting further doubt on speculation about a diplomatic breakthrough.

Reports in Tel Aviv had suggested negotiations might begin Wednesday around a proposal centered on a political declaration that could serve as the basis for a non-aggression agreement between the two countries and possibly pave the way for a broader peace arrangement.

But Saar said Israel has no intention of entering direct negotiations with Lebanon to end the war that began earlier this month.

Political sources in Tel Aviv described his comments as a familiar Israeli tactic aimed at maintaining pressure on Hezbollah and the Lebanese government while keeping the diplomatic track ambiguous. According to these sources, Israel is unlikely to enter negotiations unless Hezbollah halts its attacks.

A Lebanese official told Agence France-Presse on Saturday that “negotiations are on the table and preparations are under way to form a delegation,” but stressed that Lebanon needs an Israeli commitment to a ceasefire before talks can begin.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer with handling the Lebanese file and managing any potential negotiations with the United States and Lebanon.

A source in Tel Aviv also said the US administration had asked Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, to oversee the negotiations.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking in Beirut, said diplomatic channels remain open to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

‘Positive Contribution’

Political sources in Tel Aviv said Washington had urged Israel to help create conditions for negotiations by reducing strikes in Lebanon and avoiding civilian infrastructure.

That request, however, reportedly lost momentum after the bombing of the Zahrani Bridge over the Litani River. According to the sources, Washington’s main red lines for Israel are avoiding strikes on Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport and the city’s seaport.

Channel 12 reported that the proposed negotiations would focus on a political declaration in which Lebanon would recognize Israel while Israel would affirm Lebanon’s territorial integrity.

The process would begin with a ceasefire followed by a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Sources familiar with the proposal said the plan — reportedly drafted by France — includes what would be an unprecedented step: Lebanese recognition of Israel. Negotiations supported by the United States and France would aim to reach the political declaration within a month.

Paris or Cyprus?

Talks would initially take place at the level of senior diplomats before moving to higher-level political negotiations. France reportedly wants to host the discussions in Paris, while Israel prefers Cyprus.

The proposed declaration would reaffirm Israel’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides would also recommit to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, as well as the 2024 ceasefire agreement.

Lebanon would pledge to prevent attacks on Israel from its territory and move ahead with plans to disarm Hezbollah and end its military activity. The Lebanese Army would redeploy south of the Litani River, while Israel would withdraw within a month from areas captured since the start of the current conflict.

Monitoring of ceasefire violations would be carried out through a US-led mechanism. UNIFIL would verify Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani, while an international coalition authorized by the UN Security Council would oversee broader disarmament across Lebanon.

Under the French proposal, Lebanon would declare its readiness to negotiate a permanent non-aggression agreement with Israel within two months, formally ending the state of war between the two countries.

Israel would then withdraw from five positions in southern Lebanon that its forces have held since November 2024. The final stage would involve demarcating permanent borders between Israel and Lebanon — and between Lebanon and Syria — by the end of 2026.