Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire agreement
Agencies
18/01/2025
Israel's cabinet has approved an agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to implement a ceasefire as well as the release of detainees in the Gaza Strip. - Reuters file photo
TEL AVIV: Israel's cabinet has approved an agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas to implement a ceasefire as well as the release of detainees in the Gaza Strip.
This was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday, a day before the deal was scheduled to begin.
In a meeting that lasted more than six hours in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Israeli government confirmed the deal, according to a statement from Netanyahu's office. The deal, which has drawn opposition from several senior ministers, includes the implementation of a six-week ceasefire scheduled to begin on Sunday.
It will be followed by a prisoner swap between the two sides, potentially a step towards ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
Media reports said 24 ministers in Netanyahu's coalition government supported the deal, while eight rejected it.
On Friday, Israel's security cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement, the first of two stages of approval.
The war between Israeli forces and Hamas has resulted in massive destruction in Gaza city areas, killing over 46,000 people and leaving most of the territory's 2.3 million residents as refugees repeatedly.
If successful, the ceasefire could ease tensions in West Asia, where the Gaza conflict also involves Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, armed groups in Iraq, and the occupied West Bank.
On Friday, Israeli warplanes were still launching a massive offensive in Gaza.
Palestinian emergency services reported that 116 Palestinians, including nearly 60 women and children, have been killed since the agreement was announced on Wednesday.
In the first phase of the six-week three-tier agreement, Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees, including all women (whether military or civilians), children and men over 50 years old.
The agreement is seen as a hope to stop protracted conflicts and ease tensions in the restive region.
Israel, on the other hand, agreed to release all Palestinian women and children in prison by the end of the first phase. - Agency
