Israeli cabinet ratifies ceasefire deal with Hamas
Source: The Guardian
Fri 17 Jan 2025 13.00 EST
First published on Fri 17 Jan 2025 08.10 EST
The Israeli government has ratified a ceasefire deal to exchange dozens of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails and pause the 15-month war in Gaza for an initial six weeks.
Under the deal, approved after a cabinet meeting that lasted more than six hours and ended in the early hours of Saturday, a six-week ceasefire will take effect on Sunday, though key questions remain, 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 agreement, which was earlier approved by the security cabinet, came despite an unexpected delay on Friday that sparked fears that last-minute disagreements between Israel and the Palestinian militant group might scuttle the agreement. Far-right members of the coalition government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had threatened to vote against the deal or quit the government, potentially derailing months of work to end the conflict.
The full cabinet met well past the beginning of the Jewish sabbath on Friday night, a rare occurrence and a reflection of the moment’s importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/17/israel-security-cabinet-approves-gaza-ceasefire-agreement
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