(CLO) Israel's security cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal, paving the way for the return of the first hostages from Gaza as early as Sunday and ending 15 months of conflict that has devastated the Palestinian enclave.
The deal, which was approved early Saturday and is expected to take effect on Sunday, includes an exchange of prisoners held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, after which terms for a permanent end to the war will be finalized.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed by the negotiating team that agreements have been reached on the release of the hostages," his office said in a statement.
If successful, a ceasefire could also ease hostilities in the Middle East, where the fighting in Gaza has spread to Iran and forces such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and armed groups in Iraq and the occupied West Bank.
The ceasefire in Gaza will officially take effect on Sunday, January 19. Photo: CC/Israeli Army
Earlier, due to long-standing divisions among ministers, Israel postponed important meetings of the security cabinet and cabinet, which were scheduled to vote on Thursday, and blamed Hamas for the delay.
In Gaza on Friday, Israeli warplanes continued heavy air strikes, and the Palestinian civil emergency agency said 116 Palestinians, including nearly 60 women and children, had been killed since the deal was announced on Wednesday.
Under the first six-week phase of the three-phase deal, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children and men over 50.
Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under the age of 19 held in Israeli prisons at the end of the first phase. The total number of Palestinians released will depend on the number of hostages released, and could range from 990 to 1,650 Palestinians, including men, women and children.
The Israeli Justice Ministry on Friday released a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed in the first exchange on Sunday.
Palestinians waiting for food in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday said they hoped the ceasefire would end hours of queueing for food.
Israel says 98 hostages are still being held in Gaza. About half of them are believed to be alive. They include Israelis and non-Israelis.
Israeli authorities have officially notified the families of the hostages of the names of the first 33 people to be released, but it is not yet clear how many of those on the list are still alive.
The ceasefire was brokered on Wednesday by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Along with the release of Palestinian hostages and prisoners, the deal includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
It also paves the way for a humanitarian aid drive to Gaza, where much of the population has been displaced and faces hunger, disease and cold.
Israel launched the operation in Gaza after Hamas attacked the Israeli border area on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
The subsequent Israeli response lasted 460 days, killing more than 46,788 Palestinians and injuring 110,453, while reducing almost the entire Gaza Strip to rubble and leaving most of the 2.3 million Palestinians facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Bui Huy (according to ISP, AJ, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-chinh-thuc-chap-nhan-thoa-thuan-ngung-ban-o-gaza-post330895.html
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