Posted on 01/16/25
| News Source: JPost
Jerusalem, Israel - Jan. 16, 2025 - Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the US, and Qatar have officially signed the hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire in Doha, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed in a statement Friday morning.
According to the statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the agreement and instructed to convene the Political-security cabinet, followed by a government meeting to approve the plan.
Currently, the government plenum is set to vote on the measure on Saturday, which would delay the release of the first three hostages until Monday, rather than Sunday as initially planned.
The government cited last-minute disagreements with Hamas as the reason for the delay in voting on the matter.
The vote is expected to cause significant opposition in the government, with three ministers already promising to quit if the Israel-Hamas war does not continue.
Diaspora Minister Avichai Chikli, National Security Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich promised to leave the government.
Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have threatened to have their parties withdraw from the government if the war against Hamas does not continue.
Netanyahu released a statement expressing his appreciation to the negotiating team, as well as confirming that the families of the hostages were informed of the agreement.
Additionally, the Coordinator of Prisoners of War and Missing Persons has begun preparations to accept the returned hostages back into the country.
"The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our kidnapped people - both living and dead," the statement concluded.