The Israeli security cabinet finally on Friday voted to approve the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza.
A statement by the prime minister’s office said the cabinet voted Friday afternoon with a recommendation that the government adopt it.
The recommendation by the forum of top ministers was made after evaluating all diplomatic, security, and humanitarian aspects of the agreement, with the understanding that the deal supports the achievement of the war’s goals.
However, the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich and the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, voted against the deal.
The deal, announced by mediators on Wednesday, is scheduled to take effect on Sunday afternoon.
According to a statement issued by the Justice Ministry, Israel is set to release 95 Palestinian prisoners including 10 teenagers on the first day of the truce, agreed to by both warring parties.
The first phase of the three-part deal is expected to last six weeks.
The number of prisoners scheduled to be released on Sunday includes 70 females and 25 males.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal, said that since the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 117 people and injured over 266.
Hamas had earlier on Friday, accused Israel of trying to foil the deal through deliberate intensification of aerial attacks on the battered enclave.
