Israel and Hamas have reached an interim ceasefire agreement facilitating the release of approximately 50 individuals who were held captive in Gaza since the Hamas armed group’s incursion into Southern Israel on October 7. The Israeli cabinet endorsed the deal following extended talks on a Qatar-mediated arrangement. Reports suggest intense discussions among members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, with only three out of 38 cabinet members voting against the truce.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the agreement stipulates that during a four-day truce, Hamas must release a minimum of 50 women and children. For every additional 10 hostages released, the ceasefire would be extended by a day. The statement from the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized Israel’s commitment to bringing all hostages home and framed the approved deal as an initial step toward achieving this objective.
Hamas, in control of Gaza, confirmed in its statement that 50 women and children held in the territory would be freed in exchange for Israel releasing 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails. The agreement also involves Israel halting all military actions in Gaza and permitting the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid into the territory.
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