Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas
Al Jazeera
The deal will take effect from Sunday and involves the exchange of captives held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet has approved a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza after more than 460 days of war in which Israeli forces have killed more than 46,788 Palestinians and wounded 110,453.
The Israeli government ratified the ceasefire agreement early on Saturday morning after meeting for more than six hours, Netanyahu’s office said in a brief statement.
“The Government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the hostages’ release will come into effect on Sunday,” it said.
With the deal bitterly opposed by some Israeli cabinet hardliners, media reports said 24 ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition government voted in favour of the deal while eight opposed it. The Israeli security cabinet had voted in favour of the ceasefire deal earlier on Friday.
Under the deal, the ceasefire starts with an initial six-week phase where captives in Gaza are released in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails, and which opens the way to ending the 15-month-old war.