Netanyahu confirms signing of Israel-Hamas agreement: Approval could happen on Saturday
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams in Doha have signed an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, the first hostages may be freed a day later, reports The Times of Israel.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office noted that the prime minister has called a security cabinet meeting for Friday, January 17, to vote on the agreement.
However, Netanyahu's spokesman pointed out that a full government meeting will take place only in the evening on Saturday, January 18. This is because opponents of the deal should have 24 hours to file a petition with the Supreme Court, and the Friday afternoon session wouldn't allow them enough time, as many of them are religious and observe the Sabbath.
"While the security cabinet is waiting for Israel’s negotiating team to return from Doha to hold the meeting, it was not clear why both the security cabinet and full cabinet could not still be convened before sundown on Friday," the statement said.
According to The Times of Israel, holding a full government meeting on Saturday means the 24-hour window for filing petitions will not expire until late Sunday. This, in turn, means the agreement will not take effect until Monday - one day later than originally planned. As a result, the first three hostages, who were set to be released on Sunday, will have to wait an additional day.
The Israeli negotiating team had already called Netanyahu to inform him of the agreement, and the prime minister thanked them for their efforts.
According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's office, the families of the remaining 98 hostages also received updated information, stating that the prime minister has instructed the authorities to work together in preparing for the reception of the hostages to be released under the agreement.
"The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages — both the living and the dead," added Netanyahu's office.
Israel-Hamas peace agreement
Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement on a ceasefire and hostage release have been ongoing since May 2024. They were based on a three-point plan put forward by US President Joe Biden. Qatar and Egypt served as mediators in the talks.
Throughout the past year, the negotiations progressed slowly and almost without results.
On January 15, it was reported that the parties had reached an agreement. Under the terms of the deal, the Palestinian group committed to releasing Israeli hostages. The first stage will involve the release of 33 people out of a total of 94 hostages.
However, by January 16, Israel postponed the vote on the agreement, accusing Hamas of failing to uphold certain points of the document.
For an analysis of the risk of the agreement's breakdown regarding the Gaza Strip, see the comment by Israeli military analyst David Sharp.
