KUALA LUMPUR – There will be a four-day ceasefire in Gaza after the Israeli cabinet agreed to a truce brokered by Qatar that will also see the release of about 50 captives held by Hamas since October 7.
Although three of the 38 members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted against the truce, his office said that the deal would require Hamas to release 50 women and children during a four-day ceasefire.
It added that for every additional 10 hostages released, the truce would be extended by a day.
However, Netanyahu’s office did not mention the release of Palestinian prisoners.
“Israel’s government is committed to returning all the hostages home. Tonight, it approved the proposed deal as a first step to achieving this goal,” the statement said.
In response, Hamas also released a statement, saying that 50 women and children held captive in Gaza would be freed in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails.
Hamas added that Israel would also stop its siege on Gaza and that hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid would be allowed into the Strip.
So far, at least 14,100 people have been killed and 1.7 million people displaced in Gaza. Israel has claimed that it lost 1,200 of its people. – November 22, 2023