The Government of Israel has approved the ceasefire plan in Gaza and the release of hostages, announced the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
„The government has just approved the framework for the release of all hostages – both the living and the deceased,” the document specifies.
The Israeli Cabinet approved the agreement early Friday morning, with it set to take effect on Saturday morning, while Hamas must release the hostages within 72 hours.
Once the agreement comes into effect, trucks carrying food and medical supplies will be allowed to enter Gaza to assist civilians facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The ratification of the agreement comes about 24 hours after the mediators announced an understanding regarding the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.
Both Israelis and Palestinians celebrated the announcement of the agreement, the most significant step so far in ending the two years of war, in which over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and to bring back the last hostages captured by Hamas in the bloody attacks that triggered the conflict.
Khalil Al-Hayya, the exiled Hamas leader in Gaza, stated that he has received guarantees from the United States and other mediators that the war is over.
It is believed that 20 Israeli hostages are still alive in Gaza, while 26 are considered dead, and the fate of two remains unknown. Hamas has indicated that recovering the bodies of the deceased could take longer than releasing those still alive.
### Role of the United States
The United States is sending 200 soldiers to monitor the implementation of the plan, stated a senior American official. The troops will join soldiers from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump personally assured the parties involved of his commitment as a guarantor of the Gaza plan, an official stated.
### Outstanding Issues
Negotiations are ongoing for the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released according to the agreement, according to an Israeli source. Trump said that the remaining hostages will be released from Gaza next Monday or Tuesday and that he still intends to travel to the region.
He expressed optimism that all remaining issues will be resolved, even though he avoided taking a position on a potential Palestinian state and acknowledged that Hamas might not be able to hand over all the bodies of the deceased hostages.