The Israeli Cabinet has officially approved the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. By a vote of 24-8, Israel approved the deal during the early hours today, set to take effect on Sunday, January 18, 2025. The agreement will initiate the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
The Times of Israel further reported that as the government has now approved the agreement, opponents of the deal can petition the High Court of Justice against the release of Palestinian security prisoners who are set to be freed, though the court is unlikely to intervene.
33 Hostages Set For Release In Phase I
The Israeli security cabinet had approved the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas and recommended that the government adopt it. The Israel government’s hostages and missing persons coordination unit on Friday notified the families of the 33 Israeli hostages expected to be set free in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Israel has not been told how many of the 33 are alive, though it expects the majority are. Israel will receive a full status report on all those on the list seven days into the ceasefire. The order of release is not yet known. The identities of those set to return are expected to be provided 24 hours before each release, as reported by Times of Israel.
Will Phase II Follow?
Beyond the 33 hostages set for release in phase one, Israel says 65 more hostages are currently held in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 36 confirmed dead. As the first phase progresses, talks will focus on the release of remaining hostages, ending the war, and Gaza’s future reconstruction.
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies have pressured him not to agree to end the fighting, with families of the remaining 65 hostages fearing the second phase may never happen, and their loved ones could remain in terrorists’ hands.
Israeli-Hamas Negotiating Teams Reach Agreement In Doha
Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams signed the deal in Doha early Friday after clearing the final hurdles. Both the US and Qatar, who mediated the negotiations, announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to end the 15-month war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, killing over 1200 civilians and holding over 250 as hostages, of which around 100 are still in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a massive counter-attack targeting Hamas units in the Gaza Strip. The response, however, has also drawn criticism from several humanitarian groups over the high number of civilian killings. According to the Gaza health ministry, over 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with half of whom are women and children.
