The Israeli government is finalizing a historic ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Hamas, a key step in the war since October 7, 2023. terrorist attack. The deal, approved by Israel’s security cabinet, will come into effect on Sunday, with the first three hostages expected to be released. The agreement follows weeks of intense negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Trump for their role in advancing the negotiations. Netanyahu thanked Biden for his commitment and praised Trump’s assertion that Gaza should not become a “terrorist paradise” again.

Trump claimed in the podcast interview that his involvement sped up the process, saying: “We changed the course, and we changed it very quickly.”

Under the agreement, Hamas will release 33 hostages in the first phase, including women, children, the elderly and people with urgent medical needs. These include 24-year-old Rumi Gonen, who was kidnapped at the Nova music festival, as well as Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Ariel and Young cub Kfir. Families have been notified of the initial version, while details of subsequent phases will be shared 24 hours before implementation.

Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire, hostage release agreement: “Americans will be involved”

Netanyahu and his cabinet discuss the hostage issue in the ceasefire agreement at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem. January 17, 2025. (provided by GPO)

among the three Americans believe Gaza is still aliveonly two people — Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen — were included in the first phase. While Saji was in captivity, his wife gave birth to their third child. Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander was not on the list.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser to FDD and a former Trump National Security Council official, told Fox News last week that Alexander’s exclusion from the initial list “would be a major strategic mistake.”

In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, including minors, women and people with health problems. Some notable prisoners include Nawal Abd Fattah, 24, who was convicted of attempting to stab an Israeli man in 2020, and 15 people involved in a 2023 shooting in Jerusalem Year-old teenager Ibrahim Zmar. Those convicted of leading major terrorist attacks remain excluded from the agreement.

A man runs in Jerusalem on January 15, 2025, passing a billboard with portraits of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. (Hazim Bader/AFP via Getty Images)

The agreement stipulates that released prisoners cannot be rearrested on the same charges and are not required to sign any declaration upon release. Each woman or child hostage is equivalent to the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners, while the release of soldiers means 30 prisoners serving life sentences and 20 prisoners serving long-term sentences.

Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas moves closer amid fears of Gaza terror group rearming

The agreement also facilitates humanitarian relief, allowing 600 truckloads of supplies to enter Gaza every day. By the 22nd, displaced Gazans will be allowed to return to the northern region, with security checks limited to vehicles under Qatari and Egyptian supervision. The Israeli military will reduce its presence in certain areas while retaining control of key routes.

The release plan began with the release of three hostages on the first day, followed by the release of four hostages on the seventh day. Three hostages are released each week for the next five weeks until day 35. Between the 35th and the 42nd, another 12 hostages will be released, including long-term hostages, including Avera Mengistu, who has been held in Gaza for ten years and who entered Gaza by plane. Psychopath Hisham al-Sayed. Owned and has been held there since October 7th.

This image released by the Israel Defense Forces from undated body camera video footage of a downed Hamas terrorist walking around a residential neighborhood at an undisclosed location in southern Israel . On October 16, 2023, the Israeli military summoned a group of foreign journalists and broadcast 40 minutes of horrific footage of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. (Israel Defense Forces, AP)

The second phase of negotiations will begin on the 16th day of the first phase and will focus on the release of young people and soldiers and the return of bodies. This phase will begin on Day 43 and last for 42 days, with discussion of the remaining captives.

“When the second phase begins, the remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, will be exchanged and all remaining Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza, making the temporary ceasefire permanent,” President Biden said at a news conference Wednesday. He also noted that the third phase would involve the return of the remains of the slain hostages and the launch of a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza.

On the other hand, speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu emphasized that in discussions with President Biden and the President, President-elect TrumpLet one thing be clear: If negotiations for the Phase 2 deal fail, Israel will resume military operations.

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Israel Defense Forces troops operate in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah. (Office of the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson)

For the families of the hostages, the agreement represents both hope and heartbreak. Ronen and Orna Neutra American-Israeli son Omar Killed by Hamas and whose body remains in Gaza, he called the deal bittersweet.

“This is a difficult moment. On the one hand, we are happy and excited for the families who want to be able to see their loved ones after such a long time,” Ona Neutra told fox news.

“We really hope that the new administration can bring this agreement to fruition and give enough attention to all parties in the region to implement this agreement. We believe that President Trump, you know, this is important to him, he will make sure this happens.”