Israeli cabinet to approve Gaza ceasefire deal despite opposition, minister says

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - TEL AVIV — Israel's cabinet should approve a ceasefire deal despite opposition from senior ministers, according to the latest statement from Israeli officials on Tuesday.

“We are in decisive moments regarding the return of the abductees, and we, the cabinet members, will ensure their return to their families,” Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter said, implying that an agreement could make the final hurdle through Israel's cabinet.

Hamas and Israel are in the midst of approving the "final details" of a ceasefire deal, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday in what appeared to be the most promising push to end hostilities between the pair in months.

Two officials involved in the talks said that Hamas had already accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire deal, which would include a pause in fighting and the immediate release of a dozen Israeli hostages.

The plan, however, would need Israeli approval to proceed, and Netanyahu is facing opposition from hardliners in his government over the deal.

His National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the proposed truce "terrible" in a lengthy post on social media, saying it would "erase the war achievements that have been achieved with much blood by our fighters, so far, in the Gaza Strip."

Ben-Gvir said he had prevented previous ceasefires through political pressure and threatened to do the same this time. He warned that he would be prepared to resign and called on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also opposed the agreement, to do the same.

Netanyahu has a majority within his coalition government and therefore a reasonable chance of pushing the agreement through. The leader could, however, face trouble if the parties of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich pulled out of his coalition and left him with a minority government.

Dichter said that Ben Gvir and Smotrich "know well that their votes will not be decisive regarding the deal to return the abductees”.

US President Joe Biden, who brokered the truce along with Qatar and Egypt, has said that the deal is based on one he laid out in detail in May which would involve a so-called three part "phased ceasefire".

It is understood that Netanyahu has signalled he is only committed to the first phase of a partial hostage release in exchange for weekslong halt in fighting. The possibility of a lasting ceasefire would be negotiated after the first phase begins, according to Hamas officials.

In the "first phase" of the ceasefire Hamas would release dozens of the most vulnerable hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas militants on 7 October. Reuters has reported that, currently, negotiations were in advanced stages for the release of 33 of the 98 women, children and female soldiers. In this stage, at least some Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes.

In the "second phase," Hamas would release the remaining hostages in exchange for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, a withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting ceasefire. The remaining sticking points will be negotiated during the first phase.

Although sources say talks have progressed its not the first time officials in the US, Egypt and Qatar — who have spent over a year trying to broker an agreement — have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal only for discussions to stall.

An agreement has been held up by a number of contentious issues, including details on the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has said it won't release a number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza without Israel withdrawing its troops. On the other side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until "total victory" has been achieved over the militant group.

Officials hope that if fighting can stop the two sides can work through an agreement on these sticking points.

The renewed discussions come as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a deal this week is "very close", adding he hoped to complete it before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated at the end of January. For his part, Trump told US channel Newsmax he understood a ceasefire was "getting finished" and that there had been a "handshake" in the negotiations.

Despite talk of a ceasefire, there was no immediate break in fighting as Israeli strikes killed at least 18 people overnight in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials.

There was also no official comment from Palestinian authorities on a potential ceasefire, apart from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warning of Israeli plans to "disconnect Gaza from the West Bank." — Euronews