JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israel’s government has ratified a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, paving the way to halt hostilities in Gaza within 24 hours and begin the release of Israeli hostages within 72 hours.
The Israeli cabinet approved the deal early Friday morning, roughly a day after mediators announced the agreement. The accord provides for the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and outlines a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza under U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the two-year war.
“The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living and the deceased,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s English-language X account stated.
The conflict, which has isolated Israel internationally and drawn in Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon, has tested U.S.-Israeli relations. President Trump has reportedly urged Netanyahu to finalize a deal as part of his broader peace plan.
Celebrations erupted across Israel and the Palestinian territories after the announcement of the most significant step yet toward ending two years of fighting that has claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives and left 1,200 Israelis dead following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks.
Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, said he had received guarantees from the United States and other mediators “that the war was over.”
An Israeli government spokesperson confirmed that the ceasefire would take effect within 24 hours of ratification, with hostages to be released within 72 hours afterward. Of the remaining hostages, 20 are believed to be alive, 26 are presumed dead, and the fate of two remains unknown. Hamas has cautioned that the recovery of bodies may take longer than the release of living captives.
Once implemented, the agreement will allow the flow of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced and forced to live in tents after their homes were destroyed.
However, challenges remain. A Palestinian source said the list of prisoners to be released was still being finalized, as Hamas seeks the freedom of high-profile detainees and hundreds arrested during the Israeli assault. Further elements of Trump’s 20-point plan — including postwar governance in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas are yet to be discussed.
Netanyahu also faces resistance within his coalition. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned he would move to topple the government if Hamas remains intact.
Despite lingering political tension, many on both sides expressed relief and hope. “Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. “All of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire.”
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where families of captives have gathered for months, Einav Zaugauker — whose son Matan is among the last remaining hostages expressed overwhelming emotion. “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t explain what I’m feeling … it’s crazy,” she said.
Israeli strikes continued in Gaza on Thursday but with significantly fewer casualties, as local health authorities reported seven deaths in two separate attacks.
President Trump is expected to travel to the region on Sunday and may attend a signing ceremony in Egypt. Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has invited him to address the legislature, an event that would mark the first speech by a U.S. president there since 2008.
The deal has received widespread international support and is being hailed as a major diplomatic achievement for Trump. If fully implemented, it would represent a breakthrough toward ending one of the Middle East’s deadliest conflicts.
Western and Arab nations met in Paris to discuss a postwar framework, including reconstruction aid and a proposed peacekeeping force. According to U.S. officials, Washington will deploy 200 troops as part of a multinational task force with no American boots on the ground in Gaza alongside forces from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and possibly the United Arab Emirates.
The Gaza conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities and a music festival, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s ensuing military campaign has killed over 67,000 Palestinians and devastated much of the enclave.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
