Israel’s security cabinet approved in the early hours of Friday (10 local time) the first phase of the peace plan presented by the United States to end the two-year war against the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. With this approval, a ceasefire should come into force immediately, according to Israeli officials reported to American broadcaster CNN.
On Wednesday night (8), the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had announced that an agreement had been reached to implement the first phase of his peace plan, which provides for the release of all hostages remaining in the Palestinian enclave and the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
According to a map released by Trump on the Truth Social network last week, following approval from Israel’s security cabinet, Israeli forces must retreat to the so-called yellow line within 24 hours, so that the hostages can be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
Within 72 hours of this deployment, the hostages will be released – it is estimated that only 20 of the 48 who remain held in Gaza are alive. Trump said the hostages should be released between Monday (13) and Tuesday (14).
Earlier this Thursday (9), Hamas had already announced the end of the war.
“Today we announce that agreement has been reached to end the war and aggression against our people, and to begin implementing a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of occupying forces,” said Khalil al-Hayya, head of negotiations for Hamas, in a statement.
Before the security cabinet meeting, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, from the far right wing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, said he would vote against the US proposal and that his party, Otzma Yehudit, would “overthrow the government” if the plan allows Hamas to “continue to exist under a different guise.”
