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GAZA: Israel's government has approved a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, a significant move toward ending the 15-month-long conflict in Gaza. The agreement, which is set to take effect on Sunday, January 19, includes provisions for hostage exchanges and aims to bring an end to the violence that has devastated the region.
After more than six hours of discussion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that 24 members of the Israeli cabinet approved the agreement, even though some ministers disagreed. This approval came after the security cabinet had already supported the agreement on Friday, completing the two-step approval process.
The ceasefire agreement, made with the help of Qatar and the United States, includes a six-week break in fighting as part of a plan to free hostages and prisoners in three stages. According to the deal, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men aged over 50. In exchange, Israel will free all Palestinian women and children under 19 currently held in Israeli prisons.
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, following a deadly Hamas attack, has resulted in more than 46,000 deaths, displaced millions, and involved regional actors like Iran, Hezbollah, and armed groups from Yemen and Iraq. Even though airstrikes are still happening in Gaza, the ceasefire agreement gives hope that the fighting will stop soon.
Netanyahu said there were problems at the last minute in finalizing the deal, and he blames Hamas. But Hamas disagreed. The ceasefire agreement, which was first made on Wednesday, was delayed for more than a day before it was approved.
The war began when Hamas launched an attack into Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and capturing about 250 hostages. Currently, nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, highlighting the urgency of continued negotiations.