Gaza ceasefire to begin Sunday morning after Israeli gov't votes in approval
98 Gaza hostages set for gradual return home after 15 months in Hamas captivity • Biden confirms US citizens to be released in first phase
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.
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.
Go to the full article >>'Significant progress' in talks between Netanyahu, Smotrich regarding hostage deal
Talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the hostage deal progressed significantly on Friday.
Go to the full article >>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.
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.
Go to the full article >>Israeli negotiating team returns to Israel after hostage deal signed
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.
Go to the full article >>Cabinet to convene Friday morning to approve hostage deal
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.
Go to the full article >>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.
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.
Go to the full article >>The Israeli delegation for negotiations takes off from Qatar for Israel
Israel's delegation for hostage negotiations has taken off from Qatar for Israel, KAN reported Friday morning.
Final disputes holding up Gaza ceasefire deal have been resolved, Axios reports
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.
Go to the full article >>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.
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.
Go to the full article >>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.
"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.
Go to the full article >>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