The Israeli Cabinet approves a ceasefire deal with Gaza, despite fierce opposition from far-right coalition partners, while Gaza’s resistance accuses Israel of continuing atrocities.
The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has officially approved a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Gaza, according to Israeli public broadcaster reports. The deal received support from 24 ministers, while 8 ministers opposed it.
The government convened late Friday to discuss the terms of the ceasefire, after the Security Cabinet had already recommended approval earlier in the day. The agreement had faced intense resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, who raised concerns that their objections could destabilize his government.
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It is believed that mediators in the ceasefire talks exerted significant pressure on Netanyahu to finalize the necessary approvals on Friday, with the agreement expected to go into effect on Sunday.
The same sources, cited by Al-Jazeera Arabic Channel stated that Hamas had demanded a 48-hour period of calm before the agreement’s implementation in order to facilitate the transfer of Israeli prisoners on the first day of the deal’s execution.
Israeli media reported that the release of the first batch of Israeli prisoners from Gaza could begin at 4 PM on Sunday. Following the Security Cabinet’s endorsement of the agreement, the Israeli Ministry of Justice released a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of the initial swap, with three Israeli female prisoners to be released from Gaza.
However, Hamas has accused Israel of committing horrific atrocities in Gaza even after the announcement of the ceasefire. The group said these actions are aimed at sabotaging the ceasefire agreement. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in what Hamas deems as deliberate Israeli massacres, while calling for increased pressure on Netanyahu and his far-right government to halt these attacks.
Hamas Leader: Hezbollah Fighters to Be Freed in Phase Two of Prisoner Deal
The mediation efforts, led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, were successful in securing the ceasefire deal, which will begin on Sunday.
In the first phase of the agreement, which spans 42 days, the Palestinian resistance will release 33 Israeli prisoners—alive and deceased—while approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 300 serving life sentences, will be freed from Israeli prisons and military detention centers.
(Al-Jazeera, PC, KAN)
