The Israeli government has officially approved a ceasefire agreement aimed at securing the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. After a prolonged meeting of all cabinet members, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced the decision late on Saturday.
The vote saw 24 ministers in favor of the deal, with eight opposing it, according to Israeli media reports.
\"The government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the hostages' release will come into effect on Sunday,\" Netanyahu's office stated.
Despite the impending ceasefire, medics in Gaza reported that an Israeli air strike early on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three people in a tent in the Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in the southern part of the enclave. This incident brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes since the ceasefire pact was announced on Wednesday to 119.
Lead U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk indicated that the White House expects the ceasefire to commence on Sunday morning. \"We have locked down every single detail in this agreement. We are quite confident… it is ready to be implemented on Sunday,\" McGurk told CNN from the White House. He added that three female hostages are expected to be released to Israel on Sunday afternoon through the Red Cross.
Under the terms of the deal, the ceasefire will start with an initial six-week phase that includes hostage-for-prisoner exchanges and could pave the way toward ending the 15-month-old war. During this phase, 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men over 50, are due to be freed. In exchange, Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained in Israeli jails by the end of the first phase.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
