First Hamas hostages released on Sunday, Israel PM’s office says
JERUSALEM—The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is expected to begin as originally scheduled on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said, after hours of uncertainty over the timing of final cabinet approval of the deal.
“Pending approval by the Security Cabinet and the Government, and the agreement taking effect, the release of the hostages will be implemented according to the planned framework in which the hostages are expected to be released on Sunday,” it said in a statement.
The Israeli cabinet was set to meet to give final approval to a deal with militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and a release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday, amidst concern the accord may be delayed.
In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes kept up intense strikes, and the Civil Emergency Service said on Friday that at least 101 people, including 58 women and children, had been killed since the deal was announced.
With longstanding divisions apparent among ministers, Israel delayed meetings expected on Thursday when the cabinet was expected to vote on the pact, blaming Hamas for the hold-up.
Approval imminent
But in the early hours of Friday, Netanyahu’s office said approval was imminent and the restricted security cabinet is due to meet on Friday before a full cabinet meeting to ratify the deal that will be held later.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed by the negotiating team that agreements have been reached on a deal to release the hostages,” his office said in a statement.
The prime minister’s office has not commented on the timing.
Underscoring the potential obstacles facing a final ceasefire, hardliners in Netanyahu’s coalition have opposed the deal as a capitulation to Hamas, which runs Gaza, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to resign if it is approved. However, he said he would not bring down the government.
His fellow hardliner, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also threatened to quit the government if it does not go back to war to defeat Hamas after the first six-week phase of the ceasefire was completed.
Nevertheless, a majority of ministers was expected to back the agreement.
Humanitarian crisis
If successful, the ceasefire would halt fighting that has razed much of heavily urbanized Gaza, killed over 46,000 people, and displaced most of the tiny enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million several times over, according to Hamas authorities.
Palestinians are also suffering from a humanitarian crisis that includes shortages of food, fuel and water.
In Gaza on Friday, mourners gathered around the body of a man killed in an Israeli strike as women hugged each other and cried.
“Life has become an unbearable hell,” said resident Jomaa Abed al-Aal.
In the aftermath of one strike on tents housing displaced people in Khan Younis, a boy picked through damaged items on the floor that was littered with canned food and coffee pots.
That attack killed two people and wounded seven others at an encampment close to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, according to medics.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the latest strikes.
A group representing families of Israeli hostages in Gaza, 33 of whom are due to be freed in the first six-week phase of the accord, urged Netanyahu to move forward quickly.
