The initial six-week phase of the agreement will involve the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that a "deal to release the hostages" has been reached.
Netanyahu had postponed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, which was scheduled for Thursday, accusing Hamas of attempting to make last-minute changes to the agreement.
On Friday morning, the prime minister's office confirmed that Netanyahu had been informed by the negotiating team that agreements had been finalized.
The office added that the security cabinet would convene later on Friday to ratify the deal, after which it would seek approval from the full government. Families of the hostages have been notified.
Representatives from Israel, Hamas, the United States, and Qatar have officially signed the deal in Doha, according to Israeli media reports.
The ceasefire deal was initially announced on Wednesday by the US and Qatar, with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani stating that the agreement would come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli cabinet approval.
At the time, Netanyahu acknowledged that the final details of the deal were still being worked out but expressed gratitude to President Biden for "promoting" the agreement.
Netanyahu later postponed a cabinet vote on Thursday to approve the deal, accusing Hamas of attempting to "extort last-minute concessions."
Hamas expressed its commitment to the deal, although the BBC understands that it sought to include some of its members in the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the agreement.
Though Israeli negotiators have agreed to the deal after months of talks, its implementation hinges on approval by the security cabinet and government. Both bodies will need to meet to ratify the deal.
Two hardline right-wing ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who oppose the agreement, have announced plans to resign in protest. However, they have indicated they will not join the opposition to bring down the government, so long as the war resumes in six weeks, when the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal concludes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed confidence that the ceasefire will begin on Sunday as scheduled, with the release of the first three Israeli hostages.
The announcement of the ceasefire brought celebrations among many Palestinians and families of Israeli hostages. However, there was no respite in the fighting on the ground in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 80 people since the deal's announcement. The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency reported conducting strikes on 50 targets in Gaza since then.
Israeli airstrikes have persisted in Gaza following the announcement of the ceasefire deal.The first six-week phase of the deal will see the exchange of 33 hostages—including women, children, and elderly individuals—for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Israeli troops will also withdraw eastward, moving away from Gaza's densely populated areas. Displaced Palestinians will begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks will be allowed entry into the region each day.
Negotiations for the second phase, which aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages, ensure a full Israeli troop withdrawal, and establish "sustainable calm," will begin on the 16th day.
The third and final phase will focus on returning the bodies of any remaining hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza, a process that could take years.
Israel launched its campaign against Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, and other nations, in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 people.
Since then, more than 46,788 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The war has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, caused widespread destruction, and led to severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter. Aid agencies are struggling to provide assistance to those in need.
Israel reports that 94 hostages are still being held by Hamas, with 34 presumed dead. Additionally, four Israelis were abducted before the war, two of whom are confirmed dead.
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