The Israeli security cabinet on Friday approved a ceasefire agreement, paving the way for the release of hostages from Gaza as early as Sunday and potentially halting more than 15 months of devastating conflict in the region. The deal still requires final approval by Israel’s full cabinet, which was meeting later Friday.
The war between Israel and Hamas has caused widespread destruction in Gaza, killing over 46,000 people and displacing the majority of the enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million, according to local authorities. A successful ceasefire could ease tensions throughout the Middle East, where the conflict has expanded to include Iran and its proxies, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and armed groups in Iraq, as well as escalations in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza on Friday, with medics and rescue officials reporting at least 104 Palestinian deaths, including 58 women and children, since the ceasefire agreement was first announced on Wednesday.
The six-week ceasefire agreement is structured in three phases. During the initial phase, Hamas is set to release 33 Israeli hostages, including women (both soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50. In exchange, Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under the age of 19 currently detained in Israeli prisons. The total number of Palestinians to be freed could range between 990 and 1,650, depending on the number of hostages released.
On Friday, Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners slated for release during the first exchange, scheduled for Sunday.
Hamas issued a statement Friday saying that all obstacles regarding the ceasefire terms had been resolved. The deal faced delays earlier in the week, with Israeli officials accusing Hamas of stalling. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced early Friday that the security cabinet had agreed to the terms, with the agreement set to take effect on Sunday.
