Israel’s security cabinet has given the green light to a ceasefire agreement with the terrorist militia Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced. Now all that remains is the government’s agreement.
Netanyahu had previously announced that the release of Israeli hostages would begin on Sunday.
The agreement stipulates that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will come into effect on Sunday. In the first phase, a total of 33 hostages kidnapped by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas and its allied groups during their attack on October 7, 2023 will be released.
The government will meet on Friday
According to Israeli media, the meeting of the entire government will take place on Friday afternoon. It was previously reported that they would not meet until Saturday evening, after the end of the Jewish rest day of Shabbat. This starts on Friday evening. Relatives of, among others, Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip criticized the later date because they feared a delay in the start of the ceasefire and thus the release of the abductees. The ceasefire will begin on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. local time (11:15 a.m. CET). Despite the opposition of right-wing extremist politicians, the approval of the agreement was considered certain by the security cabinet and the entire government.
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. The ruling Likud party has already criticized Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s threat, saying anyone who overthrows a right-wing government will be remembered as a disgrace. However, opposition leader Yair Lapid has already announced that in such a case he would be prepared to offer Netanyahu a “safety net” in parliament against a hostage situation.
Only in the first phase do the conflicting parties want to agree on the details of a second and third phase of the agreement.
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 and the elderly. It is said that most of them are still alive. As the APA learned from informed circles on Thursday, the Austrian-Israeli dual national Tal Shoham would be among the first 33 hostages.
Hamas: All obstacles removed
The government was actually supposed to vote on Thursday. However, she postponed the meeting due to differences between various ministers. She also accused Hamas of withdrawing from the agreement on some points. On Friday, the group said all obstacles to the agreement had been removed.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that will come into effect on Sunday. In principle, the agreement provides for a six-week interim ceasefire and the release of some hostages held by Hamas. In return, Palestinian prisoners must be released from Israeli custody. In the first step, 33 Hamas hostages must be released: all women, children and men over the age of 50. Israel wants to release all women and children under the age of 19 from prison. The Israeli army will later gradually withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continued on Friday. At least 101 people have been killed since the deal, according to Palestinian figures.
The US expects an agreed start of a 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.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip are likely to increase significantly with the start of the ceasefire. About 600 trucks could cross the border every day. “The possibility exists, especially if other border crossings are opened,” Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Palestinian territories, said at a news conference in Geneva. In addition, more patients could be evacuated from the area. According to the UN, an average of 51 trucks carrying aid entered the Gaza Strip every day in early January.
The war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were kidnapped. Of the kidnapped, 98 are said to still be in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian figures, more than 46,000 people were killed in the Israeli offensive in the densely populated area that followed the attack.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
