Despite the latest delays and disagreements in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, the ceasefire agreement with the radical Islamic terrorist organization Hamas is in force. According to Netanyahu’s office, the release of the Hamas hostages will begin on Sunday.
In the first phase, a total of 33 hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian organization Hamas and affiliated groups during their attack on October 7, 2023 will be released. The Israeli security cabinet met on Friday morning to vote on the agreement with Hamas. The government will not meet to approve the deal until a later date, Netanyahu’s office said. Despite the resistance of right-wing extremist politicians, approval of the agreement by the security cabinet and the entire government is considered certain.
According to information from the Times of Israel, the government vote is scheduled for Saturday evening. The background is that opponents of the agreement still have 24 hours to file an objection with the Supreme Court. Since Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, starts on Friday evening, religious people do not have enough time. The newspaper reported that the deadline for submitting petitions would therefore not end until late Sunday – and that the agreement could therefore not enter into force until Monday. It should actually start on Sunday at 11:15 am CET.
Threats of resignation in Netanyahu’s cabinet
Several right-wing extremist politicians are threatening to leave the government if the agreement is approved. Netanyahu could therefore lose his government majority in parliament if several parties carry out their threats.
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Hamas would not reveal the names of the hostages scheduled for release until the day of their release. However, Israel will only publish them once those affected have been handed over to the Israeli army and their families have been informed. Meanwhile, Israeli media have already published a list of the names of the 33 abductees who will be released in the first phase – including women, two children, the elderly and apparently also Austrian-Israeli dual national Tal Shoham.
The US believes in the stability of the ceasefire
The US assumes that the ceasefire will take effect as planned. The agreement is on track and the ceasefire is expected to take effect “this weekend,” presidential spokesman John Kirby said. “We don’t see anything that indicates the deal is failing at this point,” he said on CNN on Thursday.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
