Israeli Government Backs Ceasefire, Hostage Deal

UPDATE Jan 17, 2025 5:38 PM CST

The government of Israel gave its approval to the deal with Hamas calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners early Saturday, the day before it is to go into effect. The 33-member group of ministers had begun its deliberations on Friday evening, CNN reports. The decision is a political victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, per the Washington Post, who had spent days trying to persuade allies on the far right to endorse the agreement.

Jan 17, 2025 8:28 AM CST

Israel's security Cabinet has recommended approving a deal that would pause the fighting in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants. The deal will now go to the full Cabinet for approval before the ceasefire goes into effect. The prime minister's office said that if a deal is passed, the ceasefire could start Sunday with the first hostages released, per the AP. The security Cabinet meeting came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said there were last-minute snags in finalizing the ceasefire agreement. Israel had delayed a security Cabinet vote on Thursday, blaming the dispute with Hamas for holding up approval. However, a predawn statement cleared the way for the deal to be voted on.

Under the deal expected to begin Sunday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Netanyahu said he'd 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.

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Hamas has said it won't release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel's offensive has killed more than 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. It doesn't say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. More here. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)