Israel Approves Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

After over seven hours of deliberations, Israel’s government has approved a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Gaza. This decision marks the first significant pause in months of fighting, facilitating the phased release of both hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Israel’s justice ministry announced the release of 95 Palestinian prisoners starting Sunday, following the ceasefire agreement with Gaza. The release, contingent on the government’s approval of the plan, will not occur before 4:00 PM local time.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, aims to end the ongoing violence that has caused heavy casualties on both sides. As part of the deal, hostages held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attack will be released, and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed in the coming weeks.

After a lengthy seven-hour meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the approval of the Gaza ceasefire deal. The decision was backed by 24 ministers, with eight voting against it.

The new agreement allows 600 trucks of much-needed aid to enter Gaza daily, a significant boost from previous levels. While aid trucks are already at the Rafah border crossing, the UN has warned that this increase is just the beginning of addressing Gaza's severe humanitarian crisis, intensified by 15 months of bombardment.

The conflict has resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian casualties, with nearly 1.9 million people—around 90% of Gaza's population—displaced. Many of the displaced individuals have been forced to move multiple times due to the ongoing violence.

By November 2024, the Gaza conflict has claimed around 13,000 children, equating to one child death every 30 minutes. The high number of child fatalities is linked to Gaza's young population, where 40% are under the age of 14.

Hamas stated that Israel "failed to achieve its aggressive goals" in Gaza, following the announcement of the ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. The group also accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying its actions have "disgraced the dignity of humanity."