Israeli cabinet urges approval of Gaza cease-fire agreement – National

Israel’s security cabinet recommended approval of a cease-fire on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Hamas to end the 15-month conflict in Gaza and release dozens of militants.

Brokered by Qatar and the US, the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday, but the deal has been stalled for more than a day, citing last-minute manipulations by Netanyahu, which he accuses of Hamas.

The militants said they were “cut out” for the deal, and Gaza residents and the families of the hostages are anxiously waiting to see if it materializes.

The agreement now goes to the full Cabinet of Ministers for final sign-off. Despite strong opposition from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, the ceasefire is expected to start as soon as Sunday. But their opposition could bring down the government.

Hamas sparked the conflict on October 7, 2023, with a cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and left 250 others captive.

Israel responded with a brutal attack that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who did not distinguish between civilians and militants, but women and children accounted for more than half of those killed.

In addition to the death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has sparked unrest in the Middle East and international protests.

At least 72 people were killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza on Thursday. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire as a project of strength.

Netanyahu ordered a special task force to be set up to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and their families said they had been told an agreement had been reached. The prime minister’s office said the ceasefire could begin Sunday and the first hostages could be freed if the deal goes through.

Under the deal, 33 of the 100 hostages remaining in Gaza will be released for six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. Israeli troops will withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return home, and there will be massive humanitarian aid.

The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in the first – and most difficult – phase of negotiations.

Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal, vowing to continue fighting until Israel dismantles the group and open security controls over the territory.

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Jaher Jabaren, the head of the Hamas office responsible for prisoners, said on Friday that the names of those expected to be released from Israeli prisons would be published, but did not say when.

Long-term questions about post-conflict Gaza include who will rule the territory or oversee the arduous task of reconstruction.

An Egyptian official and a Hamas official have confirmed that the last-minute issue was on the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons in the first phase, but it has now been resolved. Both officials requested anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. A Hamas official said the mediators showed Israel’s approval of the group.

An Israeli delegation from the military and Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency arrived in Cairo on Friday to advise on reopening the Rafah crossing, a key link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the Egyptian official added. An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, confirmed that a delegation would go to Cairo to discuss the termination.

On Thursday, Israel’s hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Givir threatened to resign if Israel accepted the ceasefire. Writing on social media X on Friday, he reiterated: “If the deal passes, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”

Ben-Givir’s resignation will not topple the government or undermine the cease-fire agreement, but the move leaves the government at a critical juncture and could ultimately lead to its collapse if Ben-Givir joins other key Netanyahu allies.

Magdi reports from Cairo, Egypt

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