Israeli Cabinet Approves Gaza Ceasefire Deal; Hostage Release Begins Sunday
Israel’s cabinet approved a ceasefire agreement with Hamas early Saturday, paving the way for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a pause in the 15-month conflict. The deal, negotiated in Doha, was finalized after over six hours of deliberations.
The ceasefire, scheduled to begin Sunday morning, will initially involve the release of 33 hostages, including women, children, and elderly individuals, in exchange for Palestinian women and minors detained in Israeli prisons. The first three hostages will be released through the Red Cross on Sunday afternoon, with further exchanges every seven days.
While the agreement has been met with relief by many, it has also faced fierce opposition from hardliners within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voted against the deal, describing it as capitulating to Hamas. However, Ben-Gvir stated he would not resign or attempt to collapse the government.
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As of Saturday, 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.
Gaza, meanwhile, has continued to endure heavy Israeli airstrikes since the deal’s announcement. On Saturday, medics reported that five Palestinians were killed in a strike on Khan Yunis, bringing the death toll since Wednesday to 119.
The ceasefire is expected to ease the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. International relief agencies, including the UNRWA, have prepared thousands of truckloads of aid, including food, fuel, and medicine, ready to enter Gaza once the truce begins.
