Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal on track to start by Monday
A deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and begin a ceasefire was officially signed by representatives in Doha
What happened
Representatives from Israel, Hamas, Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. signed a Gaza ceasefire agreement in Doha Thursday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Friday morning his security cabinet would convene to approve it that day. Final approval by Netanyahu's full cabinet is expected Saturday evening, a delay likely to push off the implementation of the ceasefire from Sunday to Monday, according to Axios.
Who said what
Netanyahu's security cabinet had been expected to vote on the phased 42-day ceasefire and hostage deal Thursday, but the vote was "delayed amid last-minute disputes with Hamas and rifts over the agreement" inside Netanyahu's governing coalition, The New York Times said. Two ultranationalist cabinet ministers oppose a ceasefire and one, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if it took effect. A Hamas spokesperson said Thursday the militant group was "committed to the ceasefire agreement that was announced by the mediators."
Inside Gaza, "joy over the truce gave way to sorrow and anger" as "Israeli warplanes kept up intense strikes," killing at least 86 people "in the day after the truce was unveiled," Reuters said. "Traditionally," The Associated Press said, "both Israel and Hamas have intensified military actions before ceasefires take effect."
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What next?
If "fully implemented," the deal could "mark the beginning of the end of one of the deadliest episodes in modern Middle Eastern history," The Wall Street Journal said. Many hundreds of Israelis and more than 46,000 Palestinians are dead, and the "full extent of the damage" in Gaza "will only be known when the fighting ends and inspectors have full access to the territory," the AP said. But the U.N. estimates that 50 million tons of rubble needs to be cleared, a task that would take "100 trucks working full time" and more than 15 years to accomplish.
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