Israel approves hostage release deal with Hamas

The Israeli cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposed hostage release deal with Hamas, which will also see a temporary halt in fighting, local media reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet gathered for a special meeting in the evening, followed by a meeting of his extended security cabinet and his government.

The release of Palestinian prisoners is a highly contested issue in the Israeli society. As part of the regular procedure in Israel, any potential swap deal that includes the release of Palestinian prisoners needs to be brought to a vote in both the security cabinet and the government.

In broadcast statements at the beginning of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu urged the ministers to accept the deal. “The decision tonight is a tough one, but it’s the right one,” he said.

He added that Israeli forces would resume fighting right after the pause “until we achieve our goals: destroying Hamas and returning all of the hostages.”

Under the proposed deal, at least 50 children and women would be freed in exchange for the release of about 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. Israel also agreed to a four-day ceasefire, Xinhua reported, citing a government official.

Israel is pressing to include the release of 30 more children, who it believes are being held in Gaza by other militant groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller armed group, and even in private homes. Under the deal, if Hamas locates these children, Israel will agree to another day of ceasefire for every 10 children released.

The first hostages and prisoners would be released on Thursday or the weekend, said the official. During the pause, the Israeli forces, including tens of thousands of troops, will remain in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group’s officials are “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel and that Hamas has delivered its response to Qatar, according to a report by Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news.

International support for the two-state solution

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 14,000 since the current Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, the Hamas-run government media office said Tuesday.

Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the media office, said at a press conference that among the dead were 5,840 children and 3,920 women, while more than 33,000 others were injured.

Egypt reiterated Tuesday its absolute rejection of the Palestinians’ “forced displacement” from the Gaza Strip to the country’s Sinai Peninsula, which borders the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Speaking at a parliament session, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reiterated Egypt’s vision of a peaceful permanent settlement of the conflict.

“There is no way to solve the Palestinian issue except through the two-state solution, in a just and comprehensive manner that guarantees security and stability in the Middle East, through the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” said the Egyptian prime minister.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a joint delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries agreed on the urgent need to establish an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza following their talks in Moscow on Tuesday.

They expressed “a joint position in favor of an early establishment of a sustainable ceasefire” and stressed the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians, the opening of humanitarian corridors, the release of hostages, and continued evacuation efforts.

It was emphasized that “there is no alternative to a comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian problem based on the decisions of the United Nations and the Arab Peace Initiative,” said the statement.

“They noted the need to intensify international efforts aimed at creating conditions for establishing negotiations between the parties,” which should result in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, it said.

(With input from agencies)