Israel’s cabinet has agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas, which includes the release of hostages in Gaza, as announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday. The agreement is set to commence the following day.
In a late-night session that lasted over six hours on Friday, the Israeli government approved a deal expected to potentially conclude the 15-month conflict in Gaza, under Hamas’s administration.
Netanyahu’s office released a statement confirming the government’s endorsement of the plan, which outlines the process for the return of the hostages starting Sunday.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israeli military activities continued in Gaza, with ongoing air raids and artillery bombardments in several districts.
On Saturday, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes and shelling in Gaza’s Zeitoun area and other central and southern locations, resulting in casualties reported by local residents.
During one airstrike in the southern Gaza region near Khan Younis, medics reported five fatalities within a tent in the Mawasi area.
Since the ceasefire was declared on Wednesday, the death toll in Gaza has risen, with 123 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli strikes, according to the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service.
Air raid sirens were heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Saturday, with the Israeli military intercepting a missile launched from Yemen, although no casualties were reported.
Following the cabinet’s ratification, U.S. chief negotiator Brett McGurk expressed confidence in the progression of the agreement.
According to a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, the ceasefire is scheduled to start at 0630 GMT on Sunday, and the White House anticipates the release of three female hostages through the Red Cross by Sunday afternoon.
McGurk emphasized the thorough preparation of the deal during an interview with CNN, ensuring its readiness for implementation on the designated day.
The ceasefire agreement includes a phased approach beginning with a six-week period during which hostages and detainees will be exchanged between Hamas and Israel.
The initial phase of the agreement specifies the release of 33 Israeli hostages, encompassing women, children, older adults, and those with health issues. In exchange, Israel will free nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
These prisoners include convicted members of Palestinian militant factions, responsible for lethal attacks on Israelis, alongside many others detained since the war’s onset.
Early Saturday, the Israeli Justice Ministry disclosed details of the ceasefire and the prisoners to be released, indicating that 30 Palestinian prisoners will be exchanged for each Israeli female hostage released on Sunday.
The Israeli military is preparing to welcome back the hostages, providing necessary support and attention to detail.
McGurk mentioned that the agreement stipulates further releases, including four more female hostages after a week, with subsequent releases scheduled every seven days.
Despite some opposition from hard-liners within the Israeli cabinet, media reports indicated that 24 ministers from Netanyahu’s coalition supported the deal, while eight did not.
Critics of the ceasefire argued that it amounted to yielding to Hamas. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir even threatened to resign if the ceasefire was ratified, urging his colleagues to reject it, though he clarified he wouldn’t topple the government over it.
Similarly, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned he might leave his post unless hostilities against Hamas resumed after the ceasefire’s initial six weeks.
Following an unforeseen postponement on Thursday—blamed on Hamas—the Israeli security cabinet convened on Friday and approved the ceasefire, a necessary step before the broader cabinet could vote.
The conflict escalated when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and the capture of 250 hostages, as per Israeli records.
The ongoing conflict has devastated Gaza, with significant destruction, over 46,000 fatalities, and the repeated displacement of nearly the entire pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to figures from Gaza authorities.
A successful ceasefire might reduce tensions throughout the Middle East, affecting areas where conflict involves Iran and its affiliated groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and other militias in Iraq and the West Bank.
Gaza’s civilians, enduring severe shortages of food and medical supplies and facing cold and illness, could see some relief from the humanitarian crisis under the ceasefire terms, which include increased international aid.
On Friday, the UN’s Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, reported readiness to deliver 4,000 truckloads of aid—half of which consists of food—to the region.