JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s cabinet approved a deal with Israel early Saturday. Dozens of hostages freed after ceasefire in Gaza It will be held there, suspending the 15-month war with Hamas and bringing both sides a step closer to ending the bloodiest and most destructive fighting to date.
The government announced the recognition shortly after 1 a.m. Jerusalem time, confirming that the ceasefire would come into effect on Sunday. The several-hour cabinet meeting took place well past the start of the Jewish Sabbath, underscoring the importance of the moment. In accordance with Jewish law, the Israeli government normally suspends all operations on the Sabbath, except for life-threatening emergencies.
Mediators Qatar and the United States announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, but the deal had been stalled for more than a day as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted a ceasefire deal existed. Last minute complications He blamed the militant group Hamas. On Friday, the Small Security Cabinet recommended approval of the deal.
important questions remain ceasefire — the second to be achieved during the war — contains the names of 33 hostages scheduled to be released during the war. First 6 week phase And who among them is still alive?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed special forces to prepare for the reception. hostage. The 33 people are women, children, men over 50, and the sick and injured. Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the agreement, four on the seventh day, and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
Palestinian detainees are also scheduled to be released. Israel’s Ministry of Justice published a list of more than 700 people to be released in the first phase of the deal and said releases would not begin before 4pm local time on Sunday. Everyone on the list is young or female.
Israeli prison authorities announced they would transfer prisoners instead of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was in charge of transfers during the first ceasefire, to avoid “public expressions of joy.” The prisoners are accused of sedition, vandalism, supporting terrorism, terrorist activities, attempted murder, stone-throwing and petrol bombing.
There should be a surge in humanitarian aid in Gaza, which has been devastated on a large scale. On Friday, trucks loaded with aid lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border entering Gaza.
Egyptian officials said an Israeli delegation from the military and Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss reopening the border. Israeli officials confirmed the delegation would head to Cairo. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
The first phase of the ceasefire will also see Israeli forces withdraw from many areas of the Gaza Strip, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the strip. What’s left of their homes?.
“When Sunday comes, God willing, we will be happier,” Ekhlas al-Kafarna, one of the displaced Gaza Strip residents, said as he waited to hear about the Israeli cabinet’s decision. he said.
As the Israeli military gradually withdraws its forces from certain locations and routes in the Gaza Strip, residents will not be allowed to return to areas where troops are stationed or near the Israeli-Gaza border, and any threats against Israeli forces will be treated as a “counterattack.” We will take measures to deal with it.” That’s a strong response. ”
Ceasefire negotiations had repeatedly stalled in recent months. But Israel and Hamas were under increasing pressure from both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Hamas sparked the war with a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and captured around 250. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with devastating attacks that left more than 46,000 Palestinians dead, local health officials said. Local health officials do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say more than half of the dead are women and children.
The fighting continued until Friday, and Gaza’s Ministry of Health 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 to demonstrate strength.
The second, and much more difficult, phase of the ceasefire is to be negotiated during the first phase. The remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are expected to be released at this stage.
However, Hamas said it would not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israel vowed to continue fighting until it dismantles Hamas and maintain unrestricted security control over the territory.
Long-term questions remain regarding post-war Gaza, including who will govern the area or oversee the Gaza Strip. The daunting task of reconstruction.
The conflict is destabilized the Middle East and sparks were scattered global protests. It also highlighted political tensions in Israel and prompted fierce resistance from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
On Thursday, Israel’s hardline Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to resign from the government if Israel recognized a ceasefire. “If the ‘deal’ is passed, we will leave the government with heavy hearts,” he reiterated on social media platform X on Friday.
There was no immediate indication that he had done so early Saturday morning.
While Ben Gvir’s resignation will not collapse the government or derail the cease-fire agreement, the move could destabilize the government at a sensitive time and could threaten Ben Gvir with other key Netanyahu allies. If this happens, it could ultimately lead to the collapse of the government.
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Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Julia Frankel in Chicago, Sam Mednick in Jerusalem and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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