Israel security cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire-hostage release deal, full cabinet vote awaited

Israel’s security cabinet has ratified a ceasefire deal with Hamas, setting the stage for a significant exchange of hostages and prisoners and a temporary pause in the 15-month-long conflict.

Sunita Iyer

Updated: Jan 17, 2025, 7:11 PM IST

Israel’s security cabinet has ratified a ceasefire deal with Hamas, setting the stage for a significant exchange of hostages and prisoners and a temporary pause in the 15-month-long conflict.

The agreement, delayed by last-minute concerns and objections from far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, is now headed for final approval by the full cabinet. Implementation is expected to begin on Sunday with the release of the first hostages and prisoners.

The recommendation was made “after examining all diplomatic, security and humanitarian” aspects of the agreement, with the understanding that the deal “supports the achievement of the war’s goals,” the Israel PMO said.

Key Terms of the Agreement

Under the initial phase, lasting 42 days, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages, including children, women, elderly individuals, and female soldiers. In return, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners at a ratio of 50 for every female soldier, 30 for other female hostages, and varying ratios for other categories.

Notably, French-Israeli citizens Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are among the first group of hostages to be freed, as confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Additionally, two mentally ill Israelis, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held in Gaza for over a decade, will be released in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement also includes provisions to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Displaced Palestinians will be allowed freer movement within the Gaza Strip, and the delivery of aid will increase to 600 trucks per day. Wounded individuals will also be evacuated for medical treatment abroad.

Humanitarian and Strategic Dimensions

In the second phase, remaining hostages will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners under terms still subject to negotiation. Israel has also pledged to completely withdraw from Gaza in this phase. A third phase will address the return of deceased hostages and Hamas members, alongside plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and potential governance by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza until Thursday night, killing at least 86 Palestinians even after the truce announcement. The Israel Defense Forces reported targeting 50 sites within the strip over the past 24 hours.

15 Months of Devastation

The war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian deaths and significant destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure. Israel reported 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken in the initial attack. A ceasefire deal in November 2023 briefly halted hostilities but collapsed after one week.

The Israeli High Court is expected to hear petitions against parts of the agreement but is unlikely to intervene. The international community, including the Biden administration, is watching closely, with many advocating for a role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza governance.

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