In a bid to end the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the Israel’s government on Thursday, approved a Gaza ceasefire framework and hostage release deal .
The government also set a time -line for the release of both the living and deceased hostages.
According to a statement from Prime Minister’s office , Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the development came at the end of Israeli cabinet meeting held late Thursday in Jerusalem.
“The government has just approved the framework for the release of all hostages — both the living and the deceased,” the statement read, marking what officials described as the most significant step toward ending the months-long conflict.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been at the center of renewed mediation efforts, said the hostages could be released “on Monday or Tuesday.” His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, attended the Israeli cabinet meeting alongside Netanyahu, as discussions concluded late on Thursday in Jerusalem.
Earlier in the day, representatives of Israel and Hamas signed the first phase of the deal in Egypt. The agreement includes a ceasefire, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of Gaza, and the daily entry of hundreds of aid trucks into the war-ravaged territory.
The United Nations has already begun preparations to increase humanitarian supplies to Gaza, where famine has reportedly taken hold in some areas.
Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition have opposed any deal involving Hamas, threatening to bring down the government unless the militant group is completely dismantled. However, sources say the U.S., Arab mediators, and Turkey have given Hamas assurances that the war will not resume once the hostages are freed.
A senior Hamas official confirmed the guarantees, saying, “We have received commitments from the United States and regional partners that this war has permanently ended.”
The Trump peace plan reportedly requires Hamas to disarm, though the group has consistently rejected such conditions. Trump has announced plans to visit the Middle East on Sunday once the ceasefire formally takes effect.
The Israeli military is expected to begin pulling back from the frontlines within days as the framework takes effect. Once that happens, the countdown toward the official release of hostages will begin.
This marks the closest both sides have come to ending the Gaza war since it began, with global powers watching closely to see if the fragile truce will hold.
