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Israel’s security cabinet approved in a vote on Friday a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend, the prime minister’s office said.
The agreement, which must now go to the full cabinet for a final green light, would halt fighting and bombardment in Gaza’s deadliest-ever war.
It would also launch on Sunday the release of hostages held in the territory since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
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Under the deal struck by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, the ensuing weeks should also see the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Israeli strikes have killed dozens of people since the deal was announced. Israel’s military said on Thursday it had hit about 50 targets across Gaza over the past day.
The full cabinet will convene later Friday to approve the deal. The ceasefire would take effect on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president.
Saying the proposed deal “supports achieving the objectives of the war,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the security cabinet recommended that the government approve it.
His office had earlier said the release of hostages would begin on Sunday.
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