The Israeli government officially approved a ceasefire agreement on Saturday aimed at securing the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, marking a significant step towards easing tensions in the region. After a lengthy meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that the ceasefire framework would come into effect on Sunday.
In a decisive vote, 24 ministers supported the deal while eight opposed it. \"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 killed 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 to 119 since the ceasefire pact was announced on Wednesday.
Brett McGurk, the lead U.S. negotiator, expressed confidence in the agreement's implementation. Speaking from the White House, he told CNN, \"We have locked down every single detail in this agreement. We are quite confident… it is ready to be implemented on Sunday.\" McGurk added that three female hostages would be released to Israel on Sunday afternoon through the Red Cross.
Under the terms of the deal, the ceasefire begins with an initial six-week phase that includes hostage-for-prisoner exchanges, potentially paving the way to ending the 15-month-old war. During this phase, 33 Israeli hostages—including women, children, and men over the age of 50—are scheduled to be freed. In return, Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained in Israeli jails by the end of the first phase.
(With input from Reuters)
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
