Israel: Israel has approved a temporary ceasefire deal that will allow the release of about 50 people held captive in Gaza since the Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.
The agreement came after talks on a Qatar-mediated deal with heated exchanges between ministers of Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
In the end, only three of the 38 members of the cabinet voted against the truce, including the National Security Minister, Mr. Itamar Ben-Gvir, and two other members of his far-right political party.
The Prime Minister’s office noted that the deal would require Hamas to release at least 50 women and children during a four-day “pause in fighting.” For every additional 10 hostages released, the pause would be extended by a day. The PM office did not mention the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
“Israel’s government is committed to returning all the hostages home. Tonight, it approved the proposed deal as a first step to achieving this goal,” the statement added.
Hamas confirmed the release in a statement, saying that 50 women and children currently held in the territory would be freed in exchange for Israel releasing 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails.
The statement added that Israel would also stop all military actions in Gaza and that hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid would be allowed into the territory.
The accord is the first truce in a war in which Israel has killed at least 14,100 people and displaced about 1.7 million people from their homes. Hamas killed at least 1,200 people in its attack on Israel.
Qatar is likely to make the formal announcement on the ceasefire, with the first captives being released about 24 hours after that.
Ahead of the meeting to discuss the deal, Mr. Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s broader mission had not changed. “We are at war, and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages, and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel,” the Israeli PM added.
TRENDING | Gmail adds unsubscribe button for Android promos: Report
