Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
The Israeli government “approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages, the living and the deceased,” the prime minister's office stated.
The prime minister’s office has said that within 24 hours of the cabinet approving the deal, the Israeli military will pull back to the “yellow line,” as demarcated in the U.S. president’s plan, leaving the Jewish state in control of about 53% of Gaza.Under the terms of the deal, Hamas commits to release all of the hostages, both living and deceased, within 72 hours. That means that the U.S.-designated foreign terror organization must release all the 48 hostages by around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Israel time.
Of the 48, 20 are thought to be still living. Israeli specialists and the Jewish state’s hospitals are ready to receive the remaining hostages, according to Netanyahu’s office.
Israel has said that it expects the handover to occur with “respect and decorum” and that it will not tolerate hostages being “paraded around like we have seen in the past.”
Israel has agreed to release 1,950 Palestinian security prisoners, including 250 who are serving life sentences for deadly attacks, and 1,700 Palestinians arrested since Oct. 7, 2023.
Hamas requested that Israel release the bodies of its senior leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar, whom the Jewish state killed. Israel denied that request, per CNN reporting, which cited an unnamed Israeli official.
Israel reportedly intends to send the bulk of the prisoners whom it releases to a third country, likely Turkey and Qatar, which have accepted prisoners in the past.
Leaders of the coalition’s more right-wing parties, Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, were expected to vote against the deal.
Religious Zionism’s chairman, Bezalel Smotrich, announced his intention to oppose it on Thursday morning, expressing his “great fear” over “emptying prisons” and freeing the next generation of terror leaders.
“For this reason alone, we cannot join the short-sighted celebrations and vote in favor of the deal,” he said.