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Gaza ceasefire to begin Sunday morning after Israeli gov't votes in approval

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 Demonstrators rally for a deal that brings all hostages home, January 16, 2025. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Demonstrators rally for a deal that brings all hostages home, January 16, 2025.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

Government approves the hostage deal after seven hours of deliberation

Netanyahu told the cabinet that President-elect Trump had given his full backing for Israel to restart the war should Hamas violate the agreement and would unfreeze arms shipments.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give a speech ahead of a cabinet meeting on December 3, 2024 (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE/ISRAELIPM/NOAM MATRY/GPO)Enlrage image
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give a speech ahead of a cabinet meeting on December 3, 2024
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE/ISRAELIPM/NOAM MATRY/GPO)

The Israeli government approved the hostage deal at 1 a.m. on Saturday after over seven hours of debate, Walla reported.

Twenty-four ministers voted in favor, and eight ministers voted against.

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'Significant progress' in talks between Netanyahu, Smotrich regarding hostage deal

By AMICHAI STEIN
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breaking news
(photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

Talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the hostage deal progressed significantly on Friday.

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Majority of Israeli public favors hostage deal, poll finds

The poll also showed that 19% of the public opposes the deal and 8% have no opinion on the matter. 

By WALLA!
 Chairs with cutouts of the pictures of the eyes of the hostages in Tel Aviv. January 14, 2025.  (photo credit: REUTERS/KAI PFAFFENBACH)Enlrage image
Chairs with cutouts of the pictures of the eyes of the hostages in Tel Aviv. January 14, 2025.
(photo credit: REUTERS/KAI PFAFFENBACH)

Some 73% of Israelis favor a hostage deal to return the hostages held in Hamas captivity to Israel, according to a Maariv poll published on Friday.

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Israeli negotiating team returns to Israel after hostage deal signed

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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breaking news
(photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

The Israeli negotiating team returned to Israel from Doha after the hostage deal was signed by both parties in the early hours of Friday, Israeli media reported. 

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Cabinet to convene Friday morning to approve hostage deal

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 breaking news (photo credit: JPOST STAFF)Enlrage image
breaking news
(photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

The Security Cabinet is set to convene on Friday morning to approve the hostage deal, which was officially signed by both parties in Doha in the early hours of Friday, Israeli media reported. 

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Hostage deal signed by both parties in Doha , PMO confirms

This comes after reports that the government would delay the vote on the matter until Saturday.

By CORINNE BAUM, SHIR PERETS
 Viewing the Bibas family posters. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)Enlrage image
Viewing the Bibas family posters.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the US, and Qatar have officially signed the hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire in Doha, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed in a statement Friday morning. 

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The Israeli delegation for negotiations takes off from Qatar for Israel

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Israel's delegation for hostage negotiations has taken off from Qatar for Israel, KAN reported Friday morning.

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Final disputes holding up Gaza ceasefire deal have been resolved, Axios reports

By REUTERS
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breaking news
(photo credit: JPOST STAFF)

The final disputes holding up a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have been resolved, Axios reported on Thursday, citing an unnamed US official.

Axios did not provide details.

Israel said it had delayed holding a cabinet meeting on Thursday to ratify a ceasefire with Hamas, blaming the militant group for the hold-up. The hold-up involves the identities of several prisoners Hamas is demanding be released and it is expected to be resolved soon, a US official earlier said.

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Gaza ceasefire should take pressure off Israel's credit rating, Fitch says

Analysts at Capital Economics said an effective ceasefire would have an "overwhelmingly positive" impact on Israel's public finances.

By REUTERS
The Fitch Ratings building is seen in New York (photo credit: REUTERS)Enlrage image
The Fitch Ratings building is seen in New York
(photo credit: REUTERS)

A ceasefire in the war in Gaza should be positive for Israel's under-pressure credit rating, Fitch's top sovereign rating analyst said on Thursday.

Israel's "A" rating is currently on a downgrade warning, or a "negative outlook" in rating agency-speak.

"We've got Israel on negative, I guess that's something that's really related to public finances associated with the war," Fitch's head of sovereign ratings James Longsdon said at a conference held by the firm.

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There is no name for this feeling: Hostage family describes turmoil of waiting for a deal

Freeing the hostages is a crucial part of what these soldiers fought for, hostage family member Udi Goren said.

By EVE YOUNG
 Udi Goren, holding a photo of his cousin Tal Haimi, held captive in Gaza for nearly 470 days. (photo credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)Enlrage image
Udi Goren, holding a photo of his cousin Tal Haimi, held captive in Gaza for nearly 470 days.
(photo credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

"I don't think there is a name for this feeling - having your child, spouse, [or] loved one stolen from you and not being able to do anything about it," Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi's body is still being held by Hamas, said Thursday, discussing the turmoil the families of hostages are going through as a deal progresses.

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Details of the Gaza hostage deal

  • 33 hostages to be released in the first phase
  • IDF preparing to withdraw from areas of Gaza ahead of ceasefire
  • Biden says American hostages to be released in first phase