ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Israeli Security Cabinet on Friday ratified the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Palestinian Hamas.
“Following an evaluation of all diplomatic, security and humanitarian aspects, and while understanding that the proposed deal supports the achievements of the objectives of the war, the Security Cabinet has recommended that the Government approve the proposed framework,” read a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s media office.
The deal will now go to the full cabinet for final approval, as the ceasefire will come into effect on Sunday.
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday reached a ceasefire and hostage release agreement following high-level negotiations in Doha.
The ceasefire will take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The terms of a broader peace deal would be finalized once the first phase of the ceasefire has concluded.
The approval comes a day after Israeli PM Netanyahu accused Hamas of “reneging” on the terms and conditions of the truce, an accusation the Palestinian militant group immediately dismissed, leading to fears that their disagreements could halt the agreement.
The approval also comes just a few hours after negotiators from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Israel met in Cairo Friday to set out "mechanisms" for implementing the ceasefire.
The ceasefire was the fruit of months-long diplomatic efforts to end over 15 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas that has claimed over 46,500 lives and left more than 109,000 injured.
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