Israel approves ceasefire, hostage release deal with Hamas

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a security cabinet meeting to vote on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect on January 19, in Jerusalem, Jan. 17, 2025. GPO/AFP via Getty Images
Israel’s cabinet has approved a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian group Hamas, aimed at facilitating the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday.
The deal, set to begin on Sunday, marks a significant development in the 15-month-old conflict.
Following a six-hour meeting, the Israeli government announced, “The Government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the hostages’ release will come into effect on Sunday.”
Under the agreement’s initial six-week phase, 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men over 50, will be released. In exchange, Israel will free all Palestinian women and children under 19 currently held in Israeli jails, with 95 prisoners scheduled for release on Sunday.
US lead negotiator Brett McGurk confirmed the ceasefire’s readiness, stating, “We are quite confident… it is ready to be implemented on Sunday.” Three female hostages are set to return to Israel through the Red Cross on the first day of the deal.
However, tensions remain high. Medics in Gaza reported an Israeli airstrike on Saturday that killed three people in Khan Younis, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 119 since the ceasefire’s announcement.
If successful, the ceasefire could ease hostilities in the region and open the door to broader peace efforts in the Middle East.
Reports by UNICEF indicated that about 35 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza each day over the 15 months of Israel’s war on the territory.
So far, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 46,876 Palestinians and wounded 110,642 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks and more than 200 were taken hostage.