The high-level security cabinet voted Friday afternoon to approve the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza, and recommended that the government adopt it, the Prime Minister’s Office said. The full cabinet convened minutes before the start of Shabbat for a discussion and vote, with the meeting extending into the Jewish day of rest, marking a significant pause in the 15-month-long conflict for an initial six weeks.
The full cabinet is expected to vote by a large majority to approve the deal, which was signed overnight in Qatar and is set to take effect on Sunday.
The recommendation by the forum of top ministers was made “after examining all diplomatic, security and humanitarian” aspects of the agreement, with the understanding that the deal “supports the achievement of the war’s goals,” the PMO said.
“After reviewing all the political, security and humanitarian aspects, and understanding that the proposed deal supports achieving the objectives of the war, (the security cabinet) has recommended that the government approve the proposed framework,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
