After security cabinet, Israel's government approves Gaza ceasefire deal, paving way for Sunday implementation

Shortly after the approval from the security cabinet, Israel’s government ratified the ceasefire-hostage deal paving the way for its implementation on Sunday. The deal will focus on the exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and mark a pause to the 15-month-long war in Gaza for an initial six weeks.

The full cabinet meeting ended in the early hours of Saturday as the lawmakers agreed that a six-week ceasefire would come into effect on Sunday. However, some key questions are still bothering Tel Aviv, including the names of the 33 hostages to be released during the six-week first phase of the ceasefire and who among them is still alive.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, “The government has approved the hostage return plan.” In the late hours of Friday, the agreement was approved by Israel’s security cabinet despite a brief snag. Netanyahu also faced internal pressure from far-right members of his coalition government, which had the potential to derail the months of work to end the conflict.

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The govt approved the plan at midnight for Sunday implementation

According to The Times of Israel, the Jewish government confirmed the ratification at around 1:00 a.m. (local time). The full Israeli cabinet approved the deal after a six-hour meeting that went well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, a rare occurrence and a reflection of the moment’s importance.

Meanwhile, negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Israel concluded a separate meeting in Cairo. At the meeting, the delegation agreed on “all necessary arrangements to implement” the Gaza truce deal, Egyptian state-linked media reported. On Friday, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog welcomed the security cabinet’s decision. “This is a vital step on the path to upholding the basic commitment a nation has to its citizens,” he remarked.

Things became complicated on Thursday after Israel’s Security Minister and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that he would quit the Netanyahu administration if it ratified the ceasefire deal. The next day after announcing his plans, Ben Gvir pleaded for other parliamentarians to vote against the agreement. “Everyone knows that these terrorists will try to harm again, try to kill again,” he said in a video statement.

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According to The Times of Israel, during the full cabinet meeting, both Ben-Gvir and the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, voted against the deal, while other ministers voted in favour. David Amsalem, a minister not part of the security cabinet’s voting plenary, also raised his hand in opposition during the vote.

Now that the full Israeli cabinet has approved the deal, the Israeli high court is scheduled to hear the petition against the release of Palestinian prisoners within 24 hours. However, several Israeli media maintained that the court is unlikely to intervene in the matter.

The first phase of the deal will last for 42 days, in which Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages including children, women (including female soldiers) and men aged over 50, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. About 100 of the Palestinian prisoners slated for release are serving life sentences for violent attacks on Israelis. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) made it clear that the names of the hostages will be only made public after they are handed over to their respective families.

With inputs from agencies.