Mediator Qatar said on Saturday that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, after Israel’s Cabinet voted to approve a truth-and-hostage release deal.
After a meeting that lasted more than six hours on Saturday morning, the Israeli government ratified the agreement, which could bring a permanent end to the 15-month war with Hamas in the defeated Gaza Strip territory.
“The government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the release of the hostages will go into effect on Sunday,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s office said the agreement “helps achieve the war objectives.”
But in a statement on Saturday, Hamas – which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, Britain and other Western countries – argued that Israel “failed to achieve its offensive goals” and “only The war succeeded in committing crimes which disgrace the dignity of humanity.”
The war in Gaza began when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel in October. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping approximately 250 hostages. Fewer than 100 hostages are believed to be in Hamas custody, but about one-third of them are believed to have died.
Gaza officials say subsequent Israeli military operations have killed about 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Without providing evidence, Israel says the dead include thousands of militants it has killed.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which have been mediating talks between Israel and Hamas for months, announced a ceasefire on Wednesday.
The ceasefire will begin with a three-week pause in fighting and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Thirty-three of the remaining 98 Israeli hostages, including women, children, men over 50, and sick and injured detainees, are expected to be released at this stage. In exchange, Israel would release approximately 2,000 Palestinians from its prisons.
The White House said it expected the three female hostages to be released to Israel through the Red Cross in the afternoon. Israel’s Justice Ministry published its details early Saturday, as well as the ceasefire agreement, which said 30 Palestinian prisoners would be released on Sunday for each female hostage.
After Sunday, lead US negotiator Brett McGurk said the agreement provided for the release of four more female hostages after seven days, followed by three more hostages every seven days.
In this first phase of a three-phase deal, Israeli troops will withdraw to the edges of Gaza, and many Palestinians will be able to return to their remaining homes as aid flows increase to the enclave, which has been destroyed. Was.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty said on Saturday that the agreement provides for the entry of 600 trucks per day into Gaza, including 50 trucks of fuel.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have continued since the ceasefire was announced, including on Saturday.
According to residents, Israeli tanks shelled the Zitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, while airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza. Medics in Gaza said five people were killed in an airstrike on a tent in the Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday that it struck 50 “terrorist targets” across the region on Friday alone.
At least 123 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire was announced a few days ago, according to the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service.
Some information in this report was provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
