Israel Approves Gaza Ceasefire Allowing For Exchange Of Some Prisoners & Hostages

Saturday, January 18 2025

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A woman pauses near posters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel
AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo
A woman pauses near posters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel

Israel's Cabinet has approved the Gaza ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting and release dozens of hostages held by militants, along with Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The approval came early on Saturday after a marathon session by the full Cabinet. The prime minister’s office has said that once the deal is approved, the ceasefire could start on Sunday with the first hostages released. This would be just the second ceasefire achieved in 15 months of war.

Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. The Hamas militant group has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

As many as 95 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released during the first stage of the ceasefire, Israel’s Justice Ministry says.

Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

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Here's the latest:

Israel publishes list of 700 Palestinian prisoners to be released under the ceasefire deal

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Justice Ministry has published a list of over 700 Palestinian prisoners who are to be released under the ceasefire deal pausing the war with Hamas militants in Gaza.

The list was published early on Saturday, just hours after Israel’s full Cabinet approved the ceasefire deal, under which militants in Gaza will release dozens of hostages in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The Justice Ministry said the Palestinian prisoners would be released no earlier than 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the day the exchange is set to begin. The list includes members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups, some of whom are serving lifetime sentences and are convicted of serious offenses such as murder.

The list did not appear to include Marwan Barghouti, the 64-year-old Palestinian who is the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel and seen by many Palestinians as a prime candidate to become their president in the future. He was a leader in the West Bank during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.

Hamas has demanded that Israel release him as part of any ceasefire agreement, a possibility Israeli officials have ruled out.

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