Meeting this Friday morning, the Israeli security cabinet gave the green light to the truce agreement with Hamas. It is due to come into force on Sunday, according to the government.
This decision should allow the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and an end to bombings on the Palestinian enclave. Thirty-three hostages are affected by the first wave of release, including the two Franco-Israeli Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi. They should be exchanged for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
Fifteen months of war, thousands of victims
“Having examined all political, security and humanitarian aspects of the proposed agreement and considering that it supports the achievement of war objectives”, the security cabinet “recommended to the government to approve this project”, indicates a press release from the Office of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Council of Ministers is due to meet “later today”.
The European Union is ready to reestablish its assistance mission at the Rafah border crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, indicated for its part the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas.
This truce comes after fifteen months of war following the massacres of October 7, 2024 perpetrated by Hamas, in southern Israel. 1,210 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed and 250 others taken prisoner. Around a hundred of these hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, with total uncertainty over the fate of some of them.
Our file on the conflict in the Middle East
In retaliation, Israel intervened militarily in the Gaza Strip, causing a humanitarian catastrophe for the two million Palestinians. 46,707 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Gaza according to data from the Hamas Ministry of Health deemed reliable by the UN.
Source: www.20minutes.fr
