Israeli govt approves ‘outline’ of Gaza ceasefire deal to release hostages held by Hamas

The decision followed a late-night cabinet session where, as reported by The Times of Israel, most ministers backed the agreement. Notably, Ofir Sofer of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party voted in favour, even though other members of his faction opposed the plan.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Israel Defense Forces will reposition to new locations inside the Gaza Strip, setting off a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release all hostages. The deal, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, marks a significant step after months of conflict and mounting international pressure.

During the meeting, U.S. delegates -- former presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership throughout the crisis. “Prime Minister Netanyahu made some very, very difficult calls, and lesser people would not have made those calls. And here we are today, because Hamas had to. They had to do this deal. The pressure was on them," said Witkoff.

Kushner echoed similar sentiments, telling CNN that Netanyahu had done a “great job in negotiations.” Netanyahu expressed gratitude in response, saying, “I think you put in your brains and your hearts, and we know that it’s for the benefit of Israel and the United States, for the benefit of decent people everywhere, and for the benefit of these families, who will finally get to be with their loved ones.”

Meanwhile, reports suggesting the U.S. would deploy 200 troops to Gaza to supervise the truce have been dismissed by the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified on X, “This is NOT true and taken out of context. To be clear: up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.”