The Israeli Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Qatar-mediated deal in which Hamas will free dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza and the release of dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Why it matters: The deal, if implemented, will be the biggest diplomatic breakthrough and the first major pause in fighting since the war began.
Here’s what we know:
The deal cannot be enacted until Thursday at the earliest, to allow time for judicial approval, according to Israeli officials.
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Israel and Hamas said they agreed to a brief cease-fire and hostage release.
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NY Times…
The Israeli government and Hamas announced Wednesday morning that they would uphold a brief cease-fire in Gaza to allow for the release of 50 hostages captured during Hamas’s assault last month on Israel.
The Israeli decision, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in a WhatsApp message early Wednesday,would allow for a pause of at least four days in the fighting in Gaza. If it holds, it would be the longest halt in hostilities since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks prompted Israel to begin its bombardment and subsequent ground invasion of Gaza.
“The Israeli government is committed to bringing all the hostages home,” the government said.
It added: “Tonight, the government approved the framework for the first stage of achieving this goal, under which at least 50 hostages — women and children — will be released over 4 days, during which there will be a pause in the fighting. The release of every 10 additional hostages will result in an additional day in the pause.”
Less than an hour later, Hamas announced in a statement on Telegram that it had agreed to a four-day cease-fire that would allow for 50 hostages to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel….
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Washington Post…