Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Ceasefire with Hamas

The Israeli Security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed earlier today that negotiators have reached a preliminary truce with Hamas.

The ceasefire is set to take effect on Sunday morning. In the first phase, lasting six weeks, Hamas is expected to release 33 of approximately 100 hostages in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

During this phase, the Israeli military will withdraw from parts of the Gaza Strip. International negotiators had reported on Wednesday night that the parties had reached an agreement.

However, Netanyahu unexpectedly postponed the Security Cabinet’s vote on the truce yesterday, claiming that Hamas made new demands at the last minute, which the group denies. Disagreement within the Israeli government played a significant role in the delay; hardliners in the coalition threatened to resign if concessions were made to Hamas.

It’s unclear how the issue was resolved, but Israeli media report that Netanyahu struck a deal with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to keep him in the coalition. Far-right politician Ben Gvir reiterated this morning that he plans to resign if the agreement is approved.

The plan is for the parties to continue negotiations in the first phase for agreements in the second phase, which will include discussions on the release of the remaining hostages, including Israeli men of military age. The subsequent negotiations are expected to be more challenging due to coalition partners’ reservations about further commitments to Hamas.

The Security Cabinet, comprising key ministers, is designed to make swift decisions in crisis situations. Following the Security Cabinet’s approval, the full Cabinet must also vote on the deal, scheduled for 2:30 PM today, according to a spokesperson for Netanyahu.

Source: NOS

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