A recent agreement between Israel and Hamas marks a critical step towards de-escalating ongoing tensions in Gaza. The deal involves a multi-phase ceasefire and prisoner exchange, facilitated by negotiations led by mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The first phase of the agreement includes a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, mainly women and children, in exchange for 30 to 50 Palestinian prisoners per released Israeli. This phase also involves the facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the phased return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
The subsequent phases aim to establish a permanent ceasefire and lead to further prisoner releases, including the remaining male hostages. These measures are part of a broader plan for long-term reconstruction in Gaza and Israel's withdrawal from the territory. Although this agreement holds promise, it faces significant challenges, including legal and political opposition within Israel and continued hostilities that could undermine the ceasefire's implementation.
The deal has garnered international attention, with U.S. President Joe Biden emphasizing the importance of humanitarian relief and a resolution to the conflict. However, the agreement arrives amid criticism of both parties for the violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties since the conflict escalated in October 2023. The success of this initiative will depend on the cooperation of all stakeholders and the resilience of the ceasefire under challenging conditions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C), chairs a meeting Friday morning of his security cabinet which was expected to vote in favor of a deal with Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages being held in the Palestinian enclave. Photo courtesy of Israeli Prime Minister's Office/X
Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The Israeli government on Friday approved a cease-fire deal with Hamas that will see the release of all hostages held by the Palestinian group after more than seven hours of debate, local media reported.
Twenty-four Cabinet ministers voted in favor of the agreement while eight ministers voted against it during the poll held at 1 a.m. Saturday local time, according to multiple Israeli reports.
The approval came after Israel's security cabinet approved the deal earlier in the day.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed security cabinet approval in a post on X. after which it needed to be signed off on by Israel's full cabinet.
Hamas had said the delay in providing the names was due to "technical field reasons" and added that it is committed to the cease-fire deal announced last week.
The terror group released a statement after the cease-fire began, pledging to the people of Gaza "to be the trustees of their rights and defenders of them, until the complete liberation of the land and the holy sites."
"The whole world today must stand in reverence for the legendary steadfastness of our people in Gaza, and in appreciation of their patience and sacrifices over the course of 471 days," Hamas said.
"With the entry into force of the ceasefire, we affirm our commitment to implementing the terms of the agreement, which is the fruit of the steadfastness and patience of our great people, and the legendary steadfastness of our valiant resistance in the face of the zionist machine of terrorism and killing," the statement continued.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early Saturday morning for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and pause the war with Hamas that began after the terror group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State.
The deal would allow 33 hostages to be set free over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages are set to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
"Our heroic prisoners have an appointment with freedom starting today, and this is our firm pledge with them always until they break the shackles of the jailer and breathe freedom in the skies of Palestine," Hamas said in its statement.
Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day, and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
"I welcome the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision to approve the hostage deal which will bring our hostages home, as presented by the prime minister and the negotiating team. I expect the government to follow suit in swiftly affirming this decision," Herzog said in a translated statement on X.
"This is a vital step toward fulfilling the highest covenant between the state and its citizens. There is no greater moral, human, Jewish, and Israeli duty. We must bring all of our hostages back home."
Earlier Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the agreement that is scheduled to go into effect Sunday.
Netanyahu's office confirmed negotiators on all sides signed the agreement in Qatar, after a delay. The prime minister accused Hamas of attempting to make last-minute changes, resulting in a 24-hour delay in the vote.
The vote in front of the full Knesset is not expected to take place until Saturday night, making it likely the first three female hostages will now not be freed until Monday, instead of Sunday.
The time lag was due to the Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest which runs sunset Friday through sunset Saturday, and the need to allow time after that for the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem to rule whether petitions seeking to mount legal challenges to the deal are admissible.
The delays sparked anger among the family members of about 100 hostages still being held in Gaza, of which 33 are to be released in the initial six-week phase of the agreement, who argued the delay could see more deaths among their loved ones and that preserving life should outweigh religious dogma.
Fears that far-right members of the security cabinet Itamar Bezalel Smotrich and Ben Gvir, who are against the deal, would resign if it was adopted also appeared to have subsided after they indicated they would not back any opposition effort to bring down Netanyahu's coalition in protest.
Gvir had urged supporters to rally against the deal.
"I am even more terrified. I call on my friends in the Likud and in religious Zionism, it is not yet too late, we are before a government meeting, we can stop this deal, join me, we can stop it," Gvir said on X.
However, Gvir and Smotrich were said to be lending their backing on the condition that Israel resumes its war on Hamas when the phase expires in six weeks.
U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled the deal to halt the 15-month conflict on Wednesday in Washington in a fanfare of publicity with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani making a separate announcement in Doha where representatives of Israel, Hamas, the United States, and Qatar had been engaged in Intense negotiations.
Despite the showing, violence has intensified with the Israeli Security Agency saying the country's forces struck 50 targets in Gaza during Thursday alone.
Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal told the BBC that more than 100 Palestinians had been killed in the attacks, 27 of whom were children.
At least 46,788 Palestinians have been killed and 110,453 injured in Gaza since the conflict started on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and other jihadist groups attacked southern Israel, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
