of Israel The Security Cabinet met on Friday to vote on a ceasefire agreement after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that an agreement has been reached which puts the 15-month conflict on pause Hamas in Gaza and free dozens of hostages held by militants there.
Mediators Qatar and the United States announced a cease-fire on Wednesday, but the deal remained in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute moves that hit Hamas. .
The militants maintained that they were “committed” to the deal, while Gaza residents and the families of the hostages waited anxiously to see if it materialized.
If the Cabinet approves it, the agreement will then go to the government for final signature. Both bodies are expected to agree to the ceasefire, which could begin as soon as Sunday, although it has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners. His objections could destabilize his government, however.
Hamas triggered the conflict with its cross-border attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel that killed about 1,200 people and left another 250 prisoners.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who did not distinguish between civilians and militants, but said women and children made up more than half of those killed.
Beyond the death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has also destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world.
On Thursday, Israeli attacks killed at least 72 people in Gaza. In previous conflicts, both sides have intensified military operations in the last hours before the ceasefire as a way to project force.
Netanyahu ordered a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and said their families have been informed that an agreement has been reached. The prime minister’s office said that if the deal goes through, the ceasefire could begin on Sunday and the first hostages could be released even then.
Under the deal, 33 of about 100 hostages remaining in Gaza were released within six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces would withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to what remains of their homes, and there would be an increase in humanitarian assistance.
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The rest of the hostages, including the male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase – and much more difficult – 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 it dismantles the group and to maintain open security control over the territory
Jaher Jabareen, head of the Hamas office responsible for prisoners, said on Friday that the names of those expected to be released from Israeli prisons would be released, but did not say when.
Long-term questions about post-conflict Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.
An Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed that there were last-minute issues over the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons during the first phase of the deal, but those have been resolved. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. The Hamas official said the mediators showed the group’s approval of Israel.
The Egyptian official added that an Israeli delegation from the army and Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a key link between the Strip of Gaza and Egypt. An Israeli official who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations confirmed that a delegation was going to Cairo to discuss the crossing.
Objections to the agreement in Israel
On Thursday, Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. He repeated that on Friday, writing on the X social platform: “If the ‘deal’ goes through, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”
Ben-Gvir’s resignation will not topple the government or derail the ceasefire agreement, but the move will destabilize the government at a sensitive time and could eventually lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir is joined by other allies key to Netanyahu.
Magdy said from Cairo, Egypt
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2025-01-17 15:47:00
