Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire deal and release of hostages
The agreement will initiate the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
PTC News Desk: The Israeli cabinet has approved ceasefire-hostage deal on Friday which is set to take place on January 19. The truce deal will facilitate hostage release with Hamas while bringing a halt to 15 months of conflict that have devastated the Palestinian coastal strip.
The agreement will initiate the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
On Friday, the Israeli security cabinet had approved the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas and recommended the government to adopt it.
The Israel government's hostages and missing persons coordination unit on Friday notified the families of the 33 Israeli hostages expected to be set free in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have pressured him not to agree to end the fighting, with families of the remaining 65 hostages fearing the second phase may never happen, and their loved ones could remain in terrorists' hands.