Politics

Israeli Cabinet Approves Gaza Ceasefire Agreement; the release of the hostages begins on Sunday

After a river meeting, the Israeli government approved the agreement with Hamas for the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages. The agreement, signed in Doha on the night between Thursday and Friday, will come into force on Sunday 19 January. The news was confirmed by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Israeli media sources, 24 ministers voted in favor of the agreement, while 8 were against it. Although opposing parties can appeal to the High Court of Justice.

David Amsalem And Amichai Chikli, Likud exponents are among the eight members of the executive who opposed the truce agreement with Hamas, together with representatives of the radical right parties Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism. Shlomo Karhi, Minister of Communications and also affiliated with Likud, was not present at the time of the vote. Among Otzma Yehudit’s opponents are the party leader Itamar Ben GvirYitzhak Wasserlauf And Amichai Eliyahu. Regarding religious Zionism, leader Bezalel Smotrich voted against, supported by ministers Orit Strock And Ophir Sopher. Otzma Yehudit has raised the possibility of abandoning the coalition due to the agreement, while religious Zionism seems determined to remain in the executive, after Benjamin Netanyahu he would reach a compromise with Smotrich to ensure his faction’s support.

During the government meeting the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he stated «President Trump has made the decision that, when he takes office, we will get back all the military supplies that had been blocked». According to Netanyahu, quoted by Ynet, this phase is crucial: « If the second part of the agreement is not reached, Israel will still have new tools to resume the conflict. President Trump reiterated his full support for Israel, ready to intervene in the event of a violation of the agreement.” Israel plans to free more than 700 detainees in the first phase of the deal with Hamas, including several sentenced to life in prison for murder. The prisoners include members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Fatah movement. The news was released by the Times of Israel, which reported a statement from the Ministry of Justice. The document states that the first group of prisoners will not be released before 4pm tomorrow. According to the Israeli media « Zakaria Zubeidia Fatah member known for being involved in a 2021 escape from a maximum security prison in northern Israel, is on the list of Palestinian security prisoners that the Israeli Ministry of Justice plans to release in the first phase of the agreement ceasefire with Hamas Zubeidi and the other fugitives had subsequently been captured and Zubeidi would not be sent abroad.”

As of Saturday, the government’s Hostage and Missing Persons Coordination Unit began notifying the families of 33 Israeli hostages expected to be freed during the first phase of the deal. These so-called “humanitarian” cases include women, children, the elderly and the infirm. However, Israel has yet to confirm how many of the 33 are still alive, with Hamas promising to deliver a progress report seven days after the ceasefire began.

The names of the hostages who will be released include Liri Albag, Itzhak Elgarat, Karina Ariev, Ohad Ben Ami, Ariel Bibas, Yarden Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas, Agam Berger, Gonen Romi, Daniella Gilboa, Emily Damari, Sagui Dekel Chen, Iair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, Arbel Yehoud, Ohad Yahalomi, Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Naama Levy, Oded Lifshitz, Gadi Moshe Mozes, Avraham (Avera) Mengisto, Shlomo Mantzur, Keith Samuel Sigal, Tsachi Idan, Ofer Kalderon, Tal Shoham, Doron Steinbrecher, Omer Shem Tov, Hisham Al-Sayed and Eli Sharabi.