Israel’s security cabinet is convening Friday to decide whether to approve a deal that would release dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza and pause the 15-month-war. If the cabinet approves, the deal will then go to the government for the final sign-off.
The meeting comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there were last minute snags in finalizing the ceasefire agreement. Israel had delayed a security cabinet vote Thursday, blaming the dispute with Hamas for holding up approval. However, a pre-dawn statement appeared to clear the way for the deal to be voted on by the security cabinet.
Under the deal expected to begin Sunday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
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The top World Health Organization official for Palestinian areas says any failure to finalize a Gaza ceasefire would be “utterly devastating” and crimp humanitarian efforts for the war-ravaged territory.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Occupied Palestinian Territories, said that thousands of trucks are waiting to enter Gaza from Egypt, as well as from Jordan and elsewhere.
Under the ceasefire agreement — which is awaiting approval from Israel’s security cabinet and government — aid entry to Gaza is to be ramped up to hundreds of trucks a day of food, medicine, supplies and fuel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. That is far more than Israel has allowed in throughout the war.
Just 40 to 50 aid trucks a day have entered the territory in recent weeks.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva by video from Jerusalem, Peeperkorn said an influx of aid could help to rebuild electricity, water, waste management systems and other infrastructure that have been damaged in more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.
Peeperkorn cited a need for generator parts and generator oil that have not been allowed into Gaza.
He said it was his “assumption” that the three phases of the ceasefire process would take place in Gaza, and “it would be it would be utterly devastating if it is not going to happen.”
French President Emmanuel Macron says that French-Israeli nationals Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are on the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the draft Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
“We are working tirelessly to ensure they are reunited with their families,” he said in a message on X.
Under the agreement announced Wednesday, 33 of some 100 hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The agreement has not yet been approved by Israel’s security cabinet and government.
Macron was on a visit to neighbouring Lebanon on Friday, where he was to meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.
Israel’s security cabinet convened Friday to decide whether to approve a deal that would release dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza and pause the 15-month-war.
If the cabinet approves, the deal will then go to the government for final sign-off before the ceasefire goes into effect.
On Wednesday U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced the deal, which is aimed at releasing scores of hostages held in Gaza and winding down the war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Friday’s meeting comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing the agreement. Israel had delayed a security cabinet vote Thursday, blaming the dispute with Hamas for holding up approval. However, a pre-dawn statement appeared to clear the way for the deal to be voted on by the security cabinet.
Netanyahu said he had instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and that their families were informed the deal had been reached. The Prime Minister’s office said that if a deal is passed, the ceasefire could start Sunday with the first hostages released.
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Friday that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached.
The announcement came a day after Netanyahu’s office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu said he will convene his security Cabinet on Friday and then the government to approve the ceasefire agreement.