Israel’s Cabinet Approves Ceasefire Deal with Hamas
Historic Agreement Reached
Jerusalem: Israel’s cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday, a day ahead of the agreement’s scheduled start. The government ratified the agreement in the early hours of Saturday after meeting for more than six hours, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Key Terms of the Deal
Under the deal, a six-week ceasefire is due to take effect on Sunday, with the first of a series of hostage-for-prisoner exchanges that could open the way to ending the 15-month war in Gaza. According to the agreement, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50. Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained in Israeli jails by the end of the first phase.
Cabinet Vote
Media reports said 24 ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition government voted in favour of the deal while eight opposed it. On Friday, the Israeli security cabinet voted in favour of the ceasefire accord, the first of two approvals required.
Background to the Conflict
The war between Israeli forces and Hamas has razed much of heavily urbanised Gaza, killed more than 46,000 people and displaced most of the enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million several times over, according to local authorities. If successful, a ceasefire could ease hostilities in the Middle East, where the Gaza war spread to include Iran and its proxies – Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq as well as the occupied West Bank.
Humanitarian Crisis
In Gaza on Friday, Israeli warplanes kept up heavy strikes, and the Palestinian civil emergency service said 116 Palestinians, almost 60 of them women and children, had been killed since the deal was announced on Wednesday.
Conclusion
The approval of the ceasefire deal marks a significant step towards ending the 15-month war in Gaza. If the agreement holds, it could bring relief to the people of Gaza and the wider Middle East. However, the road ahead will be challenging, and it remains to be seen whether the deal can be implemented successfully.
FAQs
* What is the duration of the ceasefire?
The ceasefire is expected to last for six weeks.
* What is the scope of the hostage-for-prisoner exchange?
Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50. Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained in Israeli jails by the end of the first phase.
* How many people have been killed in the Gaza war?
More than 46,000 people have been killed in the Gaza war, according to local authorities.