Israeli government approves US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal and hostage release
The Israeli government has approved the US-brokered deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, the first part of Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year war in the Palestinian territory.
The plan was approved despite strong opposition from far-right parties in Israeli Prime Minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
The cabinet meeting concluded in the early hours of Friday morning local time. It followed a session of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, a 12-person body that includes defence minister Israel Katz and foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, which considered the agreement.
The talks included a surprise appearance by Trump administration envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who had travelled to Jerusalem for talks with Netanyahu, but were then invited to give a presentation in front of the full cabinet on the “compelling case” for the deal.
The ceasefire is expected to take effect following approval by the full cabinet.
The first phase of the US president’s peace plan, which he announced late on Wednesday, marks a breakthrough in his push to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, devastated Gaza and triggered conflicts across the Middle East.
“We ended the war in Gaza, and really, on a much bigger basis, created peace, and I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace,” Trump said on Thursday.
The 48 Israeli hostages — 20 of whom are believed to be alive — are expected to be released in the days after the Israeli government approves the agreement, said people briefed on the situation.
Trump told his cabinet he expects them to be released on Monday or Tuesday. He also said he will visit Egypt, where talks between delegations from Israel and Hamas have been taking place, as well as Israel in the coming days.
Under the terms of the ceasefire plan, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and allow increased aid into Gaza. Israel will also pull its troops back from front lines in the enclave in the first step of a phased redeployment.
Israeli government approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
The Israeli government approved the US-brokered deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza early on Friday morning local time after several hours of deliberations, and a surprise appearance by senior Trump administration envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
The motion was carried despite opposition from far-right members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, who opposed both the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of the deal and a halt to the punishing Israel offensive against Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office in a statement said simply that the “framework for the release of all the hostages — alive and dead” had been approved by the government.
Kushner and Witkoff had travelled to Jerusalem for talks with Netanyahu, but were then invited to give a presentation in front of the full cabinet on the “compelling case” for the deal.
Kushner and Witkoff invited by Netanyahu to deliver presentation to cabinet
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were invited by Benjamin Netanyahu late Thursday night to address “the active and ongoing cabinet meeting” ahead of its vote, a senior US official said.
The Trump administration envoys delivered a presentation to the cabinet “as to the merits of the deal and why [they] believed in it so fervently,” according to the official.
After landing in Egypt early Wednesday morning, Kushner and Witkoff travelled to Israel Thursday to meet with Netanyahu and his cabinet “just to make sure the implementation occurs,” a senior US administration official said. “There’s still just a lot of ways that this can go wrong?.?.?.?[They’re] staying on top of the details to make sure everyone fulfils their obligations and that any misunderstandings are quickly discussed and adjudicated.”