Final Approval Expected at Full Cabinet Meeting on the 18th (Local Time)
Hostage Release Implementation Anticipated on the 20th
It has been confirmed that the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip have been finally concluded despite last-minute difficulties.
According to AP News and others on the 17th (local time), the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "Prime Minister Netanyahu received notification from the negotiation team that an agreement for the release of hostages has been reached," and that the signing has also taken place. Netanyahu has convened a security cabinet meeting to vote on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
The security cabinet will meet on the same day, but the full cabinet meeting, which holds the final approval authority for the agreement, is expected to be held on the night of the 18th local time. In this case, the timing for the implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release will be delayed by one day to the 20th, instead of the 19th as originally anticipated by the United States and Qatar. This is due to a rule that requires a 24-hour grace period during which opponents of the ceasefire agreement can file objections with the court.
As a result, the three hostages who were initially scheduled to be released first on the 19th will have to wait an additional day until the 20th. The Israeli government cited last-minute disagreements with Hamas as the reason for the delay in approving the agreement. However, some speculate that Netanyahu, who returned to power through a coalition with far-right parties and is maintaining his political survival, needed time to appease far-right figures who have opposed the ceasefire.
Yohanan Plesner, director of the Israel Democracy Institute, noted, "Netanyahu is the most experienced player," suggesting that he is persuading opponents behind the scenes.
If this ceasefire agreement takes effect, both sides will first lay down their arms and enter the final countdown for a complete end to the war. In the first phase, Israel and Hamas will halt hostilities for six weeks (42 days) and exchange 33 hostages and 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Starting from the 16th day of the agreement, discussions on the second phase of the ceasefire will begin, including the release of Israeli male soldier hostages, permanent ceasefire, and full withdrawal of Israeli forces. The final third phase will address issues such as the return of the bodies of deceased hostages and plans to rebuild the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by the 15-month-long war.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a phone interview with the internet broadcast "Dan Bongino Show" released on the same day, claimed credit for the recent ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas. He stated, "If we had not been involved in this agreement, there would never have been an agreement, and the hostages could not have been released," and claimed, "It is unpleasant that Biden says he did it. He did nothing."
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