Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire framework

The Israeli cabinet in the early hours of Friday voted to accept the framework for the ceasefire in Gaza, approving the plan for the release of all hostages.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the news at 1.20am local time, after an Israeli government meeting at which US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were present. Mr Netanyahu praised the pair and the wider Trump administration for their “extraordinary assistance”.

“These efforts, together with the courage of our soldiers who entered Gaza, created combined military and diplomatic pressure that isolated Hamas. I believe that these brought us to this point,” Mr Netanyahu added.

Mr Kushner said at the meeting that he thought Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump “saw eye to eye on the ultimate goal”.

Despite the deal passing, two factions within Mr Netanyahu’s government say they oppose it, a threat that further down the line could deprive the Prime Minister of his governing majority.

With the agreement coming into effect, Israel’s military has 24 hours to move to a pre-determined line within Gaza, after which a 72-hour period begins in which Hamas must surrender living and dead hostages. The Israeli military had said it would pull withdraw when cabinet approves the plan.

An Israeli spokeswoman said the ceasefire would take effect "within 24 hours" after the cabinet’s decision. There will then be a 72-hour window for an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.

Amid relief at a possible end to the war, world leaders called for aid to enter famine-stricken Gaza and the “phase one” plan to be followed by long-term peace. The initial ceasefire was agreed on during late-night negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

Mr Trump said hostages held in Gaza will be returned to Israel early next week. “Getting them is a complicated process … but we are getting the hostages back on Monday or Tuesday, and that’ll be a day of joy,” he said.

He said Gaza would be “slowly redone” with the help of countries in the Middle East. “You have tremendous wealth in that part of the world,” said Mr Trump, who is expected to travel to the region in the coming days. “Just a small part of that, what they make, will do wonders for Gaza.”

The National understands that as part of phase one, Israel, the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey plan to form a “task force” to assist in finding the bodies of the dead hostages.

Hamas is believed to hold 48 hostages – 20 of them still alive – and the deal provides for all of them to be handed over to the Israeli army. Hundreds of Palestinian detainees could be freed in return, although Israel says they will not include perhaps the best-known detainee, Marwan Barghouti.

Israel is to withdraw its troops to an agreed “yellow line”. But it said on Thursday that this would still leave it in control of about 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip.

Israel continued to strike Gaza even after Mr Trump announced the deal had been reached, killing at least 10 people, Gaza officials said. Israeli tanks were blocking a coastal road to Gaza city on Thursday.

The current Israeli assessment, one official told The National, is that hostage releases will begin on Sunday or Monday.

Mr Netanyahu had announced overnight that he would be convening the cabinet to approve a plan for the release of hostages held by Hamas. The next steps on governing postwar Gaza, and disarming Hamas, have not yet been agreed on.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem accused Israel of trying to make alterations to agreed dates and times pertaining to the ceasefire, including when it was set to begin.

Displaced Gazans hope ceasefire deal will bring peace

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Mr Qassem told Al Jazeera that hostilities were supposed to end on Thursday afternoon. But Israel said then that a ceasefire will begin only when the cabinet approves it on Thursday evening.

“Netanyahu wants to show the people that he is the one who controls matters and is the one who manages them,” Mr Qassem said, as he called on mediators to hold Israel accountable for its end of the agreement. “We have reached a formula for a ceasefire agreement, and it is left to the mediators to announce this date.”

One former Israeli hostage, Omer Shem Tov, said: "With all the joy and happiness, I have to say – this isn't over yet."

It comes after Israel and Hamas on Wednesday night agreed on the first phase of the deal put forward by Mr Trump. Israel continued to strike Gaza even after Mr Trump's announcement, killing at least 10 people and injuring 49 in strikes over the past 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

Among the dead were two people killed while trying to receive aid. “A number of victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, as ambulance and civil defence crews are unable to reach them at this time,” local health authorities in Gaza said.

This brings the toll since October 7, 2023, to nearly 67,200 Palestinians killed and 169,890 injured. Israel launched strikes and a ground offensive in 2023, after Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted about 240.

As Gazans celebrate, albeit before the guns fall silent, large quantities of food stand waiting to enter on the other side of the border. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is on standby to send much needed aid and supplies into Gaza that could feed the entire population for three months, its chief Philippe Lazzarini has said.

At least 460 people, including 154 children, died from malnutrition and hunger-related problems, Gaza's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

“Our teams in Gaza are crucial for the implementation of this agreement including to provide basic services like health care and education,” he said in a post on X, adding that hundreds of thousands of children who had missed out on education can be helped by UNRWA's services. “I call on all member states to support UNRWA to do its work to assist people in need in the coming critical period,” he added.