Israel’s security Cabinet yesterday convened to vote on a ceasefire deal after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants there.
Mediators Qatar and the US announced the ceasefire on Wednesday, but the deal hung in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute snags he blamed on Hamas.
The militants maintained they were “committed” to the deal, while residents of Gaza and families of the hostages anxiously waited to see if it would materialize.
Photo: AP
If the security Cabinet, which oversees the war, approves it, the deal would then go to the full Cabinet of ministers for final sign-off. Both bodies are expected to approve the ceasefire, which could start as soon as tomorrow, even though it has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners. Their objections could destabilize his government.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed about 1,200 people and left about 250 others captive.
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 militants, but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
Photo: Reuters
Beyond the death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has also destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
On Thursday, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people in Gaza. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.
Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and said that their families were informed a deal had been reached.
The prime minister’s office said that if the deal passes, the ceasefire could start tomorrow and the first hostages could be freed then too.
Under the deal, 33 of about 100 hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces are to pull back from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to what is left of their homes, and there would be a surge of humanitarian assistance.
The remainder of the hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second — and much more difficult — phase that would be negotiated during the first.
Hamas has said it would not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles the group and to maintain open-ended security control over the territory.
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