Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas, aiming to end hostilities in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid.

Israel’s security cabinet voted on Friday to approve a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, which is expected to take effect this weekend, according to the prime minister’s office.

The agreement, requiring final approval from the full cabinet, aims to stop fighting and bombing in Gaza’s deadliest war.

The release of hostages held in the region since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel is also set to commence on Sunday.

As per the agreement facilitated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from Israeli jails in the coming weeks.

Since the deal was announced, Israeli strikes have resulted in numerous casualties. On Thursday, Israel’s military reported that it had targeted approximately 50 locations across Gaza within the past day.

The entire cabinet is scheduled to meet later on Friday to authorize the agreement. The ceasefire is set to commence on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the security cabinet has recommended government approval for the proposed deal, stating it “supports achieving the objectives of the war.”

Earlier, his office announced that the hostages would start being released on Sunday.

Before the truce even began, Gazans who had been displaced by the war to different areas of the territory were making preparations to return home.

“I am going to kiss my homeland,” stated Nasr al-Gharabli, who escaped his residence in Gaza City for a camp further south within the region.

“Dying on my own land would be preferable to living here as a displaced person.”

In Israel, emotions were mixed with joy and anguish due to the 251 hostages captured in the nation’s deadliest attack ever.

Kfir Bibas, who will turn two years old on Saturday, is the youngest hostage.

In November 2023, Hamas reported that Kfir, his four-year-old brother Ariel, and their mother Shiri had perished in an air strike. However, since the Israeli military has not yet confirmed their deaths, many people continue to hold onto hope.

“Whenever I think of those two little redheads, I get shivers,” said 70-year-old Osnat Nyska, whose grandchildren went to nursery with the Bibas brothers.

Confident

Two ministers from the far-right had expressed opposition to the deal, with one even threatening to resign from the cabinet. However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated he believed that the ceasefire would proceed as planned.

He expressed confidence and fully anticipated that the implementation would commence as planned on Sunday.

Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israel bombarded multiple regions within the territory, resulting in over 100 deaths and hundreds of injuries since the agreement was announced on Wednesday.

Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, cautioned that Israeli attacks were endangering the lives of hostages set to be released under the agreement and could transform their “freedom… into a tragedy.”

The conflict commenced on October 7, 2023, with an assault on Israel that led to the deaths of 1,210 individuals, predominantly civilians, as reported by AFP based on Israeli official statistics.

Out of the 251 individuals who were taken hostage, 94 remain in Gaza. The Israeli military reports that this number includes 34 deceased persons.

Israel’s counteroffensive has severely damaged much of Gaza, resulting in 46,788 deaths, most of whom are civilians. These figures come from the health ministry governed by Hamas and are deemed reliable by the UN.

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden

The ceasefire agreement was reached after heightened efforts from mediators following months of unproductive negotiations. Trump’s team has claimed credit for collaborating with US President Joe Biden’s administration to finalize the deal.

“If we hadn’t been part of this deal, it would never have occurred,” Trump stated in an interview on Thursday.

A high-ranking Biden official stated that the unexpected partnership was a key factor in securing the agreement.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani announced the agreement on Wednesday, stating that a preliminary 42-day ceasefire would result in the release of 33 hostages. The freed individuals will include women, “children, elderly people,” along with civilians who are ill and wounded.

The Israeli authorities believe that the 33 individuals are alive, although Hamas has not yet confirmed this information.

Additionally, during the initial phase, Israeli forces would pull back from Gaza’s densely populated areas and permit displaced Palestinians to return “to their residences,” he stated.

According to two sources with connections to Hamas, AFP reported that three Israeli female soldiers are scheduled for release on Sunday evening.

The women could actually be civilians, since the militant group labels all Israelis who have undergone mandatory military service and are of military age as soldiers.

Once released, they would be welcomed by Red Cross staff along with Egyptian and Qatari teams, according to one source who wished to remain anonymous.

The source stated that they would first be transported to Egypt for medical examinations and subsequently sent to Israel.

The source added that Israel “is then anticipated to release the initial group of Palestinian prisoners, including some with lengthy sentences.”

State-linked media reported that Egypt was hosting technical discussions on the implementation of the truce on Friday.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that French-Israeli citizens Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are included in the list of 33 hostages set to be released during the initial phase.

Biden mentioned that the second phase might lead to a “permanent end to the war.”

In Gaza, where almost all of the 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once and aid is scarce, relief workers are concerned about the immense challenges they face ahead.

“Everything has been devastated, children are on the streets; it’s impossible to single out just one priority,” said Amande Bazerolle, coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), in an interview with AFP.