Netanyahu security Cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet on Friday approved a ceasefire agreement that he said would go into effect with hostage releases on Sunday. The rest of the Israeli government was scheduled to convene later on Friday to also approve the ceasefire, the prime minister’s office said. The security Cabinet’s approval of the agreement comes a day after Netanyahu accused the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal. There were no last-minute changes to the agreement, according to Netanyahu’s statement.

What are the terms of the ceasefire agreement? The Times of Israel on Thursday published what it said was a full text of the ceasefire agreement. The text included a three-phase agreement for the exchange of hostages and prisoners while restoring peace in Gaza. U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this week claimed that the agreement followed the outline of an arrangement he proposed last summer. That proposed arrangement involved Hamas incrementally releasing hostages while Israel gradually wound down its military operations in Gaza.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions celebrating the existence of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, even if it is tenuous.