The Israeli government on Saturday approved a ceasefire agreement in Gaza that will free dozens of hostages held there and halt the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides one step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting in history.
The government ratified the agreement early Saturday morning after more than six hours of meeting, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The approval was announced after 1 a.m. local time in Jerusalem.
Twenty-four cabinet members were in favor, eight were against, according to Haaretz and other Israeli media.
Mediators Qatar and the U.S. announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, but the agreement remained in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group.
Key questions remain about the ceasefire – the second reached in the 15-month war – including the names of the 33 hostages scheduled to be released in the first, six-week phase of the ceasefire, and who of them is still alive.
The cabinet met well after the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, reflecting the importance of the moment. Under Jewish law, the Israeli government usually suspends all activity during the Sabbath, except in cases of life or death emergencies.
Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive hostages returning from Gaza. The 33 released first include women and children, as well as men over 50 years of age and sick or injured people. Hamas agreed to release three hostages on the first day of the deal, four on day 7, and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
Palestinian prisoners are also to be released. Israel's justice ministry published a list of 95 people to be released in the first phase of the agreement and said the release would not begin before 4 p.m. local time on Sunday. All people on the list are younger or female.
The Israel Prison Service said it would transport the prisoners instead of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which handled the transport during the first ceasefire, to avoid “public expressions of joy”. Prisoners are accused of crimes such as incitement, vandalism, supporting terrorism, terrorist activities, attempted murder or throwing stones or Molotov cocktails.
The agreement would enable further assistance
The largely devastated Gaza Strip should see a surge in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Friday.
An Egyptian official said an Israeli delegation of the Israeli military and Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the reopening of the border crossing. An Israeli official confirmed that the delegation was traveling to Cairo. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from many areas of Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return to what is left of their homes.
“When Sunday comes, we will be happier, God willing,” said one of Gaza's many displaced people, Ekhlas al-Kafarna, as he waited for the Israeli government's decision.
The Israeli military has stated that as its forces gradually withdraw from specific locations and routes in Gaza, residents will not be allowed to return to areas where troops are located or near the Israel-Gaza border, and any threat to Israeli forces “will be met with a strong force” response.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Hamas to return hostages held in Gaza; after a day of worrying, it may fall apart.
Hamas led a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and approximately 250 others captured. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters but say more than half of the victims are women and children.
Fighting continued into Friday, and Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that 88 bodies had arrived at hospitals in the past 24 hours. In previous conflicts, both sides intensified military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire to show strength.
Ceasefire talks have repeatedly stalled in recent months. However, Israel and Hamas have been under increasing pressure from both the Biden administration and US President-elect Donald Trump to reach an agreement before Trump takes office on Monday.
The second – and much more difficult – phase of the ceasefire is to be negotiated during the first. At this stage, the remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released.
Hamas, however, said it would not release the remaining captives without a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israel vowed to continue fighting until the group was disbanded and to maintain open security control over the territory.
Long-term questions remain about the post-war Gaza Strip, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.
The conflict destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world. It also highlighted political tensions within Israel, prompting fierce resistance from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners.
On Thursday, hard-line Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to quit the government if Israel approved a ceasefire. He echoed that Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the 'deal' is accepted, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”
Early Saturday morning, there was no indication that he had done so.
Ben-Gvir's resignation would not topple the government or derail the ceasefire agreement, but the move would destabilize the government at a delicate moment and could ultimately lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir is joined by other key Netanyahu allies.