Israel's security cabinet convenes to approve deal to release hostages
If cabinet approves, the deal will go to govt for final sign-off before the truce goes into effect
PTI
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Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip
Jerusalem, 17 Jan
Israel's security cabinet convened
Friday to decide whether to approve a deal that would release dozens of
hostages held by militants in Gaza, and pause the 15-month-war.
If the cabinet approves, the deal will
go to the government for final sign-off before the ceasefire goes into effect.
US President Joe Biden and key mediator
Qatar announced the deal on Wednesday, which is aimed at releasing scores of
hostages held in Gaza, and winding down the war that has destabilised the
Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Friday's meeting comes after Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier there were last minute snags
in finalising the agreement.
Israel delayed a security cabinet vote
on Thursday, blaming the dispute with Hamas for holding up approval.
However, a pre-dawn statement appeared
to clear the way for the deal to be voted on by the security cabinet.
Netanyahu said he had instructed a
special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and
that their families were informed the deal had been reached.
The prime minister's office said if a
deal is passed, the ceasefire could start Sunday with the first hostages
released.
Under the deal, 33 of some 100 hostages
who remain in Gaza are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange
for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Also, Israeli forces will pull back from
many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to
what's left of their homes, and there would be a surge of humanitarian
assistance.
The remainder of the hostages, including
male soldiers, are to be released in a second -- and much more difficult --
phase that will be negotiated during the first.
Hamas has said it will not release the
remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal,
while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles the group and to
maintain open-ended security control over the territory.
Longer-term questions about post-war
Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task
of reconstruction.
An Egyptian official and a Hamas
official confirmed that the last-minute issues were over the list of
Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli jails during phase one of the
deal, but those have now been resolved.
Both officials spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss the negotiations.
The Hamas official said mediators showed
the group Israel's approval.
The Egyptian official added that an
Israeli delegation from the military and Israel's Shin Bet internal security
agency arrived in Cairo Friday morning to discuss the reopening of Rafah
crossing, a key link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
An Israeli official, who also spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, confirmed a delegation was
going to Cairo to discuss the crossing.
The agreement has drawn fierce
resistance from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, which the Israeli
prime minister depends on to remain in power.
On Thursday, Israel's hard-line national
security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel
approved the ceasefire.
On Friday, Ben-Gvir wrote on X "if
the deal passes, we will leave the government with a heavy heart".
Ben-Gvir's resignation would not bring
down the government or derail the ceasefire deal, but the move would
destabilise the government at a delicate moment and could lead to its collapse
if Ben-Gvir were joined by other key Netanyahu allies.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues in
Gaza, with Israeli strikes killing at least 72 people on Thursday.
In previous conflicts, both sides
stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to
project strength.
Hamas triggered the war with its October
7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took
250 others hostage.
Israel responded with a devastating
offensive that has killed over 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 those killed.
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