Israel considers peace deal to free Gaza hostages


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Israeli officials were meeting Friday to discuss a potential cease-fire agreement with Hamas that could lead to the release of numerous hostages from Gaza and temporarily halt the ongoing conflict that has lasted over 15 months.

The security cabinet gathered at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to evaluate the deal, which was finalized in Qatar on Thursday evening despite several last-minute complications that threatened to derail the negotiations.

Following the security cabinet’s review, the cease-fire agreement will need to undergo a final government approval later in the day before the cease-fire can be implemented on Sunday.

“Pending approval by the Security Cabinet and the Government, and the agreement taking effect, the release of the hostages will be implemented according to the planned framework in which the hostages are expected to be released on Sunday,” Netanyahu stated on X during the ongoing meeting.

Netanyahu had previously mentioned that he had directed a specialized team to prepare for the return of the hostages from Gaza, and confirmed that the hostages’ families had been notified about the successful negotiation of the deal.