Israeli Government Deliberates Gaza Hostage-Ceasefire Deal Into the Sabbath
The Israeli government continued discussions into the Sabbath on the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal negotiated in Doha, following its approval by the security cabinet on Friday. The agreement, which seeks to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, is expected to pass despite opposition from some coalition members.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the security cabinet’s recommendation to proceed with the deal, citing its alignment with Israel’s “diplomatic, security, and humanitarian goals.” However, the PMO did not disclose which members of the security cabinet voted in favor. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party have both declared their opposition to the deal, maintaining their hardline stance against the ceasefire. A full cabinet vote was initially anticipated before the start of Shabbat, but deliberations extended into the evening.
Despite delays caused by bureaucratic processes, the government confirmed that the agreement is still on track for implementation starting Sunday. The High Court of Justice is expected to review petitions against the agreement but is unlikely to intervene, according to government sources. The full cabinet vote will be the final hurdle before the plan is enacted.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
The government’s Hostages and Missing Persons Coordination Unit has begun notifying the families of the 33 Israeli hostages expected to be freed during the deal’s first phase. These so-called “humanitarian” cases include women, children, the elderly, and the infirm. However, Israel has yet to confirm how many of the 33 are alive, with Hamas promising to deliver a status report seven days into the ceasefire.
The names of the hostages set to be released include Liri Albag, Itzhak Elgarat, Karina Ariev, Ohad Ben Ami, Ariel Bibas, Yarden Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas, Agam Berger, Gonen Romi, Daniella Gilboa, Emily Damari, Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, Arbel Yehoud, Ohad Yahalomi, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Naama Levy, Oded Lifshitz, Gadi Moshe Mozes, Avraham (Avera) Mengisto, Shlomo Mantzur, Keith Samuel Sigal, Tsachi Idan, Ofer Kalderon, Tal Shoham, Doron Steinbrecher, Omer Shem Tov, Hisham Al-Sayed, and Eli Sharabi.
The release schedule will begin with three hostages on the first day of the truce, four on the seventh day, and three hostages each week for the following four weeks. The final week will see 14 hostages returned. The identities of the hostages will be shared with Israel 24 hours before each release.
Beyond the initial 33 hostages, Hamas is believed to hold another 65 people, many of whom are no longer alive. Their release would be part of a second phase, contingent on a broader ceasefire agreement.
This is a developing story…
