Israel's Security Cabinet Approves Landmark Initial Gaza Ceasefire Deal 🇮🇱🤝🇵🇸
The Israeli Security Cabinet has ratified the initial phase of a major ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, marking the most significant breakthrough in the conflict that has ravaged the Gaza Strip for two years. The vote, which passed by a majority despite objections from far-right ministers, immediately sets in motion a sequence designed to suspend hostilities and secure the freedom of Israeli captives.
The Phased Trump Peace Framework
This agreement forms the critical "Phase One" of a broader 20-point peace plan proposed by former U.S. President #DonaldTrump and brokered by international mediators, primarily #Egypt, #Qatar, and #Türkiye, under U.S. supervision. The government, led by Prime Minister #BenjaminNetanyahu, framed the approval as a commitment to the core goals: the return of all remaining hostages and a path toward a #DurablePeace.
The specific, time-bound terms of this initial phase are highly detailed:
- Hostage and Prisoner Exchange: Hamas is obligated to release the 20 Israeli hostages believed to be alive, along with the bodies of the approximately 28 deceased hostages, within a 72-hour period after the ceasefire takes effect. In return, Israel will release approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This figure includes 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, alongside 1,700 individuals detained since the October 7, 2023, attack.
- Military De-escalation: The ceasefire is set to begin within 24 hours of the cabinet's vote. Within that window, the #IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will perform a partial withdrawal of its troops to an agreed-upon deployment line. This will leave the Israeli military in control of roughly 53% of the Gaza Strip's territory, primarily outside of dense urban areas, allowing a partial return of displaced Palestinians.
- Humanitarian Surge: The agreement mandates a massive surge of #HumanitarianAid into Gaza, a territory suffering from immense deprivation and infrastructure damage. The United Nations and other international bodies are poised to oversee the delivery of hundreds of trucks carrying food, medicine, and fuel daily to the 2.1 million residents.
International Oversight and Political Challenges
The deal's implementation will be monitored by an international team. The U.S. has announced it will deploy about 200 military personnel to Israel to establish a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), facilitating aid and monitoring compliance, though no American troops will enter Gaza.
The approval, however, was not unanimous. Five ministers from the far-right factions in Netanyahu's coalition, notably Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, voted against the deal, primarily over concerns regarding the significant release of Palestinian prisoners and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. Their opposition underscores the precarious political environment in which Netanyahu operates, balancing the immense domestic pressure from hostage families with the hardline demands of his coalition partners.
While celebrations erupted among the families of the hostages in Israel and among Palestinians in parts of Gaza, observers caution that the most difficult issues remain unresolved. Future negotiations must tackle the remaining core elements of the Trump plan, including the #DisarmamentOfHamas, the ultimate withdrawal of all Israeli forces, and the long-term #FutureGovernance and reconstruction of Gaza. This initial deal is a fragile but hopeful step toward ending the prolonged crisis.
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