The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has ordered the Armed Forces to prevent celebrations and mass marches in favor of the Palestinian prisoners released under the ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
In a letter addressed to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, General Herzi Halevi, Katz claimed that all measures must be taken to avoid Palestinian celebrations and mass marches in honor of the release of Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria, West Bank. The Israeli army has been ordered to attack any armed Palestinian terrorist participating in these demonstrations.
In an exchange that occurred from Sunday night to Monday, 90 Palestinian prisoners, mostly women, were released in exchange for three released Israeli hostages. On the other hand, the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas, congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, declaring the Palestinian government's willingness to work with him to achieve peace during his term.
Abbas expressed that they are ready to achieve peace based on the two-state solution grounded in international legitimacy, with Palestine and Israel living side by side in conditions of security and peace. He also presented this future as the way to achieve regional stability amidst conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also congratulated Trump and expressed his hope to work together to dismantle Hamas' military capabilities and political mandate in Gaza, ensuring that the enclave does not pose a threat to Israel. If these objectives are not met, Israeli authorities warned that they would continue the war in Gaza instead of extending the ceasefire into its second phase, which involves a definitive cessation of hostilities.
