Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to release hostages held in Gaza. The deal includes minimal changes to the previously discussed terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to release hostages held in Gaza. The deal includes minimal changes to the previously discussed terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he will convene his security Cabinet on Friday to discuss and approve the terms of the ceasefire agreement. He emphasized that there have been minimal changes to the agreement, which involves the release of hostages held in Gaza. After consulting with the security Cabinet, the government will proceed to approve the agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that a deal has been reached to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip. This comes after his office had earlier reported last-minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire agreement, which would bring a pause to 15 months of war. The details surrounding the hostages' release and the ceasefire terms are expected to be discussed further in the coming days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would convene his security Cabinet later on Friday to discuss and seek approval from the government for the long-awaited ceasefire agreement. According to the Associated Press, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is committed to achieving all the objectives of the war, including the return of all hostages—both living and dead.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when militants from Gaza entered Israel, killing more than 1,200 Israeli citizens and taking hundreds hostage. In retaliation, over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and military actions.
The proposed deal, as outlined by Netanyahu, aims to pause the fighting in Gaza and facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Additionally, it would allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza.
Human rights organizations have accused Israel of war crimes in the conflict, a charge that Netanyahu's government denies.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 72 people in Gaza on Thursday, while Israel delayed a vote on the ceasefire, citing a last-minute dispute with Hamas. This delay came amid rising tensions within Netanyahu’s government coalition, which raised concerns about the deal's implementation just a day after US President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar had announced it was finalized.
The primary issue holding back the deal was a claim from Netanyahu's office that Hamas had reneged on parts of the agreement in an effort to secure additional concessions, though the specifics of these parts were not clarified. During a briefing, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer revealed that Hamas' new demands related to the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May. However, Hamas denied these claims, with senior official Izzat al-Rishq stating that the group was committed to the ceasefire as announced by the mediators.
The ceasefire agreement also faced strong resistance from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, particularly hardline national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who threatened to quit the government if Israel approves the ceasefire.
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