Gaza Cease-Fire to Take Effect Once Israeli Government Approves Agreement

The cease-fire in the Gaza Strip will take effect once the Israeli government approves the agreement reached in the early hours of this morning between Israel and Hamas in Egypt during a cabinet meeting this Thursday afternoon, according to a governmental source who informed EFE.

In this manner, the agreement would begin to take effect once it receives the green light from the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, whose ministers are scheduled to meet in Jerusalem at 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT).

One hour prior to that meeting, at 17:00 local time, the Israeli Security Cabinet will convene to approve the plan. This body is composed of key ministers responsible for defense, security, foreign affairs, and justice, and it decides on the steps to be taken in the Gaza offensive.

According to the source, once the Israeli government ratifies the plan, the Israeli military will have a 24-hour period to withdraw to the stipulated 'yellow line' outlined in the agreement.

Once that is completed, the 72-hour period for the release of the approximately 20 remaining living Israeli hostages in the Strip will begin, detailed the source, who indicated that this is expected to occur on Sunday or Monday.

The agreement, which refers to a first phase of the plan and was announced by US President Donald Trump, would entail a cease-fire and the release of the 48 captives in Gaza, of whom Israeli authorities estimate about 20 are still alive.

Israel and Hamas have yet to agree on the list of the 1,950 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for the hostages.

Approximately 250 will be prisoners sentenced to life terms, while the other 1,700 will be individuals detained in the Gaza Strip, a member of Hamas's political bureau specified to EFE.

Prior to the release of the captives in Gaza, the Israeli military must withdraw to the 'yellow line,' marking the first phase of its withdrawal from the enclave.

This line will allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza within a perimeter with a depth of approximately 1.5 kilometers at its narrowest point and 6.5 kilometers at its widest, ensuring the continued military presence of Israel in nearly half of the enclave.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, this initial withdrawal will occur so that Gaza militias, led by Hamas, can locate all the hostages.

Following the announcement of the agreement, Hamas stated in a communiqué that, 'after responsible and serious negotiations' regarding the proposal from US President Donald Trump, the parties reached an agreement that implies 'an end to the war of extermination' against the Palestinian people and 'the withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip.'