The Israeli War Cabinet has approved the agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of further hostages. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this on Friday afternoon, stating that the proposal had been recommended to the government after being reviewed under “diplomatic, security, and humanitarian aspects”.
The government is expected to make a final decision on Saturday evening. After that, opponents of the agreement will have 24 hours to submit a petition to the Supreme Court. This could make the ceasefire effective as early as Monday at the earliest.
According to reports, the deal includes, among other things, the release of 33 hostages by Hamas, who were kidnapped from Israel on October 7, 2023, during the attacks. In return, Israel is likely to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The IDF troops are also expected to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in stages. The release of the remaining hostages will be negotiated later – the number of those still alive is unclear.
After the agreement was announced on Wednesday, the deal was nearly derailed. Netanyahu accused Hamas of not adhering to agreements.