Of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet convened on Friday to vote on the ceasefire agreement Confirmed that an agreement had been reached It will stop the 15-month dispute with him. Hamas i Gaza And released dozens of people held hostage by the militants there.
Mediators Qatar and the United States announced a cease-fire on Wednesday, but the deal hung in the balance for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute obstacles that he blamed on Hamas.
The militants maintained they were “committed” to the deal, while Gaza residents and families of the hostages waited anxiously to see if it would be implemented.
If the cabinet approves it, the agreement will go to the government for final signature. The two institutions are expected to agree to a cease-fire, which could begin as soon as Sunday, though it has left Netanyahu's far-right allies in trouble. There has been strong resistance from partners. However, their objections could destabilize his government.
Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and capturing approximately 250 others.
Israel responded with a devastating crackdown that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say more than half of the dead have been killed. There are women and children.
In addition to the death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has also destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world.
At least 72 people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Thursday. In previous conflicts, both sides have escalated military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire as a way of projecting force.
Netanyahu directed a special task force to be ready to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and said their families had been informed that a deal had been reached. The prime minister's office said that if the deal is approved, a ceasefire could begin on Sunday and the first hostages could be released.
Under the agreement, 33 of the approximately 100 hostages remaining in Gaza will be released within six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. Israeli forces will withdraw from many areas, millions of Palestinians will be able to return to what is left of their homes, and humanitarian aid will increase.
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The remaining hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in a second – and much more difficult – phase that will be negotiated during the first.
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining prisoners without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to continue fighting until the group is eliminated and security control is maintained over the area.
Jahir Jibrin, the head of Hamas's office responsible for prisoners, said on Friday that the names of those released from Israeli prisons would be published, but did not say when.
Long-term questions remain about Gaza after the conflict, including who will govern the territory or oversee the difficult task of reconstruction.
An Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed that there were last-minute problems over the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons during the first phase of the deal, but they have now been resolved. The two officials discussed the talks in private on condition of anonymity. The Hamas official said the mediators showed Israel's approval of the group.
The Egyptian official added that an Israeli delegation from the army and Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss reopening the Rafah crossing, a key link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. An Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks confirmed that a delegation was going to Cairo to discuss the crossing.
Objections to the treaty in Israel
On Thursday, Israel's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. He reiterated this on Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the 'deal' is done, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”
Ben Guerre's resignation will not topple the government or derail the ceasefire agreement, but the move will destabilize the government at a critical moment. And could ultimately lead to his downfall if Ben Guerr joins other key Netanyahu allies.
Magdi reported from Cairo, Egypt.
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