Israel PM Netanyahu chairs crucial cabinet meeting to greenlight Gaza hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently chairing a political-security cabinet discussion in Jerusalem on Friday afternoon, following confirmation from his office that a deal has been reached to release hostages held in Gaza and implement a ceasefire after intense negotiations between Israeli and Hamas teams in Qatar.
“The political-security cabinet discussion began at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. Earlier, an operational security situation assessment was held regarding the implementation of the agreement, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with the negotiating team that returned from Doha,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) posted on X.
Netanyahu ordered the meeting of the political-security cabinet immediately after he was informed by the negotiating team that agreements had been reached on a deal to release the hostages. The government is set to meet to approve the deal.
Netanyahu expressed his appreciation to the negotiation team and everyone who assisted in the process.
“The families of the abductees were recently informed that the agreements had been reached by the Directorate of Abductees, Missing Persons, and Returnees in the Prime Minister’s Office. The Prime Minister also instructed the Coordinator of Captives and Missing Persons to coordinate preparations for the absorption of the abductees upon their return to Israel,” a statement issued by the PMO said earlier in the day.
The statement highlighted Israel’s commitment to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all hostages, both living and deceased.
“Subject to approval by the cabinet and the government, and the agreement coming into effect, the release of the hostages could be realized according to the planned outline, in which the hostages are expected to be released as early as Sunday,” the statement added.
On Thursday, reports suggested that Netanyahu’s office had raised concerns over potential last-minute snags in the negotiations, accusing Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal.