Israel not a US protectorate, Netanyahu asserts ahead of Gaza ceasefire talks

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reasserted that Israel is in charge of its own security and not a protectorate of the United States. The declaration came as Netanyahu prepared to discuss progress on Gaza’s fragile ceasefire agreement with US vice-president J.D. Vance.

“We are not a protectorate of the United States. Israel is the one that will decide on its security,” Netanyahu said, presumably to reassure his supporters that an envisioned international security force in Gaza would not limit Israel’s ability to continue striking deterrent threats in Gaza.

Expressing his views, Vance recognised the challenges ahead in achieving peace, stating, "We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel. That's not easy."

He expressed cautious optimism about ongoing efforts during meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, accompanied by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Uncertainty surrounds the deployment of an international security force in Gaza and governance arrangements post-ceasefire. Countries including Turkiye, Indonesia, and Britain are mentioned as contributors to peacekeeping or monitoring personnel.

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On humanitarian fronts, Israel has completed identification of two more hostages’ bodies handed over by the Red Cross, bringing the total returned since the ceasefire to 15, with 13 still missing.

Burial preparations are underway for 54 Palestinians in Gaza, with some bodies reportedly showing signs of torture, raising calls for investigation.

The GCMHP (Gaza Community Mental Health Programme), a leading Palestinian mental health NGO, accused an unidentified armed group of forcefully taking over one of its Gaza facilities on 13 October, demanding urgent action from Palestinian authorities and international ceasefire sponsors.

Among the hostages returned, a Thai farm worker killed in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack is to be repatriated with full honours in Israel, amid the broader conflict context where over 68,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

This ministry's numbers, which do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, are considered largely reliable by UN and independent experts, though they are disputed by Israel.

The ceasefire, brokered as part of a US-led peace plan signed on 9 October in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, calls for staged withdrawal of Israeli forces, immediate humanitarian aid, hostage release, and transitional governance arrangements.

While progress has been made, violations have occurred, and the road to lasting peace and rehabilitation remains complex and fraught with high stakes 

With AP/PTI inputs

Ceasefire in Gaza resumes after deadly clashes test fragile truce