Israel’s government approved a ceasefire deal in Gaza early Saturday that would free dozens of hostages held there and end a 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.
The government ratified the agreement in the early hours of Saturday morning after a meeting that lasted more than six hours, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The approval was announced after 1 am local time in Jerusalem.
Twenty-four members of the government were in favor and eight were against. according to Haaretz and other Israeli media.
Mediators Qatar and the US announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, but the deal was in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group.
Key questions remain about the truce – the second reached during the 15-month war – including the names of the 33 hostages expected to be freed during the first, six-week phase of the truce and who among them is still alive.
The government met well after the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, which reflects the importance of the moment. In accordance with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually shuts down all business for the Sabbath, except in life-or-death emergencies.
Netanyahu instructed a special operations unit to prepare to receive hostages returning from Gaza. The first 33 released were women and children, men over 50, and sick and wounded people. Hamas agreed to release three hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
Palestinian detainees will also be freed. Israel’s Justice Ministry released a list of 95 people to be freed in the first phase of the deal and said the release would not begin until Sunday at 4pm local time. All the people on the list are young or female.
Israel’s prison service said it would transport the prisoners instead of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which handled the transport during the first ceasefire, to avoid “public expressions of joy”. The prisoners are charged with crimes such as incitement, vandalism, supporting terror, terrorist activities, attempted murder or throwing stones or Molotov cocktails.
The deal would pave the way for more aid
Gaza, which is mostly destroyed, should see an increase in humanitarian aid. Aid trucks lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
An Egyptian official said an Israeli delegation from the military and Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss reopening the crossing. An Israeli official confirmed that the delegation was going to Cairo. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from many areas in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return to what remains of their homes.
“Once Sunday comes, we would be happier, God willing,” said one of the many displaced people in Gaza, Ekhlas al-Kafarna, while waiting for the Israeli government’s decision.
The Israeli military said that as its forces gradually withdraw from certain locations and routes in Gaza, residents will not be allowed to return to areas where troops are present or near the Israel-Gaza border, and any threat to Israeli forces “will be met with a forceful response.” “
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that a deal has been reached with Hamas to return hostages held in Gaza, after days of concern that it could fall apart.
Hamas led a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and captured around 250. Almost 100 hostages remained in Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half of the dead.
Fighting continued on Friday, and Gaza’s Health Ministry said 88 bodies had arrived at hospitals in the past 24 hours. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire as a way of projecting power.
Ceasefire negotiations have been at a standstill for the past months. But Israel and Hamas have come under increasing pressure from both the Biden administration and US President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before Trump takes office on Monday.
The second — and much more difficult — phase of the truce should be negotiated during the first. The rest of the hostages, including the male soldiers, should be released during this phase.
But Hamas has said it will not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it disbands the group and maintain indefinite security control over the territory.
Longer-term questions remain about postwar Gaza, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.
The conflict has destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world. It also highlighted political tensions within Israel, drawing fierce opposition from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
On Thursday, Israel’s hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. He reiterated that Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the ‘deal’ goes through, we will leave the government with heavy hearts.”
There was no sign early Saturday that he had done so.
Ben-Gvir’s resignation would not topple the government or derail the ceasefire agreement, but the move would destabilize the government at a delicate moment and could eventually lead to its downfall if Ben-Gvir is joined by other key Netanyahu allies.
