Israel’s security cabinet backs Gaza ceasefire deal which could see first hostages handed over and ceasefire begin on Sunday
Israel’s security cabinet today recommended the approval of a ceasefire after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by its militants .
Mediators Qatar and the US announced the ceasefire on Wednesday, but the deal remained in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute problems that he blamed on Hamas.
The militants, meanwhile, insisted they were “committed” to the deal, while Gaza residents and the hostages’ families waited anxiously to see if the deal would materialize.
The deal now goes to the full Cabinet of Ministers for final signature, which is expected to approve the ceasefire even though it has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners. However, their objections could destabilize his government.
Hamas sparked the war with its invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, during which its militants killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. They make no distinction between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half of the deaths.
In addition to the death and destruction in Gaza, the conflict has also destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
On Thursday, Israeli attacks killed at least 72 people in Gaza. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before a ceasefire as a way to project strength.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (6-L), leading a security cabinet meeting to vote on a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza, which should come into effect in Jerusalem on January 17, 2025

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker joins demonstrators to call for the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Tel Aviv, Israel on January 16, 2025. the release of hostages in Gaza was achieved

Smoke rises from the city of Rafah after the Israeli attack despite the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Khan Yunis, Gaza on January 17, 2025
Netanyahu ordered a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, saying their families had been informed that an agreement had been reached.
The prime minister’s office said if the deal is accepted, the ceasefire could start on Sunday and the first hostages could also be released.
Under the deal, 33 of the approximately 100 hostages remaining in Gaza will be released for six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians jailed by Israel.
Israeli troops would withdraw from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians could return to what remains of their homes, and there would be a wave of humanitarian aid.
The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in a second – and much more difficult – phase to be negotiated during the first.
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining prisoners without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles the group and maintains open-ended security control of the area to enforce.
Jaher Jabareen, head of the Hamas office responsible for prisoners, said Friday that the names of those expected to be released from Israeli prisons would be published, but did not say when.
Longer-term questions remain about post-war Gaza, including who will govern the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.

Mourners react near the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 17, 2025

Protesters calling for the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip react after an agreement on a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza was reached in Tel Aviv, Israel on January 16, 2025

Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen before a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel takes effect, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 17, 2025
An Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed that the last-minute issues related to the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons under the first phase of the deal, but these have now been resolved.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. The Hamas official said mediators showed the group’s approval of Israel.
The Egyptian official added that an Israeli delegation from the army and Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a key link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
An Israeli official who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations confirmed that a delegation would go to Cairo to discuss the crossing.
On Thursday, hardline Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to leave the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. He reiterated that on Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the ‘deal’ is passed, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”
While Ben-Gvir’s resignation would not topple the government or derail the ceasefire, this move would destabilize the government at a delicate time and could ultimately lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir were to join among other key Netanyahu allies.