Israel’s security cabinet convened Friday to vote on a ceasefire agreement after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that an agreement had been reached that would halt the 15-month-old conflict with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by activists there.
Mediators Qatar and the United States announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, but the agreement remained in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute obstacles that he blamed on Hamas.
The militants stressed that they were “committed” to the deal, while Gazans and the families of the hostages waited anxiously to see if it would be implemented.
If approved by the Cabinet, the deal will then be sent to the government for final signature. The two bodies are expected to agree to a ceasefire, which could begin on Sunday, although it has faced fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners. But their objections could destabilize his government.
Hamas sparked the conflict with its October 7, 2023 cross-border attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 others.
Israel responded with a devastating attack that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half of the dead.
Besides death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has also destabilized the Middle East and sparked protests around the world.
Israeli raids on Thursday killed at least 72 people in Gaza. In previous conflicts, both sides intensified military operations in the final hours before the ceasefire as a means of showing strength.
Netanyahu ordered a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and said that their families had been informed that an agreement had been reached. The Prime Minister’s Office said that if the deal is approved, the ceasefire could begin on Sunday, and the first hostages could be released after that as well.
Under the agreement, 33 of the approximately 100 hostages remaining in Gaza are scheduled to be released over a period of six weeks in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel. Israeli forces will withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return to what remains of their homes, and there will be an increase in humanitarian aid.
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The remaining hostages, including the male soldiers, are scheduled to be released in a second – and much more difficult – phase, which will be negotiated during the first.
Hamas said it would not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israel pledged to continue fighting until it dismantles the group and maintains open security control over the region.
Jaher Jabareen, head of the Hamas office responsible for prisoners, said on Friday that the names of detainees expected to be released from Israeli prisons will be published, but he did not say when.
Long-term questions remain about post-conflict Gaza, including who will govern the area or oversee the arduous task of reconstruction.
An Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed that the last-minute issues were related to the list of Palestinian prisoners who would be released from Israeli prisons during the first phase of the deal, but these issues have now been resolved. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The Hamas official said that the mediators showed Israel’s approval of the movement.
The Egyptian official added that an Israeli delegation from the army and the Israeli Internal Security Agency (Shin Bet) arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, which is a main link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. An Israeli official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, confirmed that a delegation would go to Cairo to discuss the crossing.
Objections to the deal in Israel
On Thursday, hardline Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to resign from the government if Israel agreed to a ceasefire. He reiterated that on Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the ‘deal’ passes, we will leave government with a heavy heart.”
Ben Gvir’s resignation will not bring down the government or derail the ceasefire agreement, but the move will destabilize the government at a sensitive moment and could ultimately lead to its collapse if other key Netanyahu allies join Ben Gvir.
Magdy reported from Cairo, Egypt
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