Israel’s government has approved the new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, paving the way for it to take effect on Sunday.

The decision came after hours of discussions that continued late into the night. Two far-right ministers voted against the deal. 

The security cabinet earlier recommended ratifying the agreement, saying it “supports the achievement of the objectives of the war”, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

It came hours after the prime minister’s office and Hamas both said they had finalised the details of the agreement, two days after it was announced by mediators Qatar, the US and Egypt.

Under the deal, 33 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza after 15 months of conflict will be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails during the first phase lasting six weeks.

Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day.

Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and “the restoration of sustainable calm” – will start on the 16th day.

The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something which could take years – and the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies.

Qatar has said the hostages to be released during the first phase will include “civilian women, female soldiers, children, the elderly, and sick and wounded civilians”.

Israel says three hostages are expected to be released on the first day of the ceasefire, with more small groups freed at regular intervals over the next six weeks.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

More than 46,870 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. 

Most of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to a struggle to get aid to those in need.

Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are four Israelis who were abducted before the war, two of whom are dead.

Ahead of the Israeli government’s vote on the deal, Culture Minister Miki Zohar of Netanyahu’s Likud party said: “It’s a very hard decision, but we decided to support it because it’s very important to us to see all of our children, men and women back home.”

“We hope that in the future we will be able to finish the job in Gaza,” he added.

(BBC News)