Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a security cabinet meeting to be convened today to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement after negotiators from Israel and "Hamas" ironed out remaining differences, world media reported.
Netanyahu's cabinet said in a statement early today that it had scheduled the meeting to approve the deal for later in the day. Later, lawmakers "will meet to approve the deal," the statement said, without specifying what day it would take place, the New York Post reported.
A vote in the security cabinet, which was expected yesterday, was delayed due to disputes with Hamas. at the last minute and the disagreements over the agreement that arose within Netanyahu's ruling coalition, the newspaper said.
The families of the hostages have been informed of the agreement and that the prime minister has instructed the government body responsible for the hostages to prepare to receive the captives upon their return to Israel.
"The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages - both living and dead," the statement said.
"The New York Post" draws attention to the fact that late yesterday a key member of Netanyahu's coalition government spoke out against the ceasefire agreement. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's hardline national security minister, has threatened to resign and pull his party out of the Israeli government if the cabinet votes to approve the interim ceasefire agreement.
"This deal will effectively erase the achievements of the war," Ben-Gvir said, adding that the ceasefire would leave Hamas in power in Gaza.
While Ben-Gvir's threat could destabilize Netanyahu's coalition at a critical moment, it is unlikely to derail the ceasefire agreement, which would also release hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Netanyahu would still be able to count on a majority of 62 lawmakers in the 120-member parliament, the "New York Post" noted. Opposition lawmakers have pledged to support the prime minister's push for a ceasefire if his hard-line allies leave the coalition. "This is more important than any differences of opinion that have ever existed between us," said Yair Lapid, the leader of the parliamentary opposition.
A senior Hamas official, speaking to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity, said his group and Israel had reached a final agreement early on Sunday on the first phase of the ceasefire after hours of negotiations.
If implemented on Sunday, the agreement would bring relief to the beleaguered and hungry population of Gaza, as well as to the hostages kidnapped by Israel and held in the enclave for more than 15 months, the newspaper said. According to US President Joe Biden, the agreement is expected to begin with a 42-day ceasefire, during which Israeli troops will withdraw from some areas of Gaza, accompanied by a sharp increase in aid to the Gaza Strip, as well as an exchange of Israeli hostages held by "Hamas" for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
"The Washington Post" reports that both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have taken credit for the ceasefire agreement in the 15-month conflict in Gaza. Trump has claimed that he was the driving force behind the agreement. Biden stressed that a plan he had outlined in May had ultimately been accepted.
During his election campaign, the Financial Times reported, Trump had made the Middle East peace issue a hot topic, attacking Biden for failing to secure a ceasefire; after the vote, he quickly returned to his rhetoric. Steve Witkoff, his surprise appointment as Middle East envoy, was sent to Qatar on November 22, less than three weeks after Trump's election victory. In Doha, Witkoff met Sheikh Mohammed to get an update on the stalled talks and to find out why Qatar - frustrated with the warring parties over the lack of progress in the talks and the criticism it had drawn for accommodating Hamas - had ended its role as mediator.
He then flew to Tel Aviv to meet with Netanyahu. It is not known whether Witkoff relayed any specific threats from Trump or made promises to Israel in the event of a deal - both hallmarks of Trump's diplomacy, which is unpredictable and transactional in equal measure, the Financial Times said. But the impact was clear: a day later, on November 24, Israel's chief negotiator, David Barnea, head of the Mossad spy agency, traveled to meet Sheikh Mohammed in Vienna.
"Then things started to develop and there was a completely different readiness on the Israeli side," the newspaper quoted a person briefed on the negotiations.
Witkoff, a close friend of Trump who is also known to Qatari officials through his real estate business, suddenly became a leading factor in the unpromising negotiating team led by Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk.
"Financial Times" commented that Trump's election victory in November has created a new reality for the Gaza negotiations - any deal negotiated by Biden will be implemented by Trump.
In early December, Trump made it clear that he wanted the conflict to end by the time he takes office in January, writing on his social media platform "Truth Social" that "if the hostages are not released by January 20, 2025" it will make him very angry.
The newspaper added that people informed about the talks surrounding the Gaza agreement said that on several occasions Witkoff did not want to allow the discussions to subside. "With Trump's backing, he has been straightforward with Netanyahu about what needs to happen and has offered assurances of strong US support for Israel, the same officials said", the Financial Times wrote.
Many in the Arab world and beyond believe that Biden has repeatedly failed to use his influence with Netanyahu to negotiate a deal or curb Israel's fierce offensive in Gaza, as he has firmly sided with the Jewish state, the newspaper noted. In contrast, when Witkoff engaged, the Israelis seemed more receptive and willing to compromise. "He acted as if he were trying to make a business deal", the Financial Times quoted a person briefed on the negotiations as saying. "He applied the right pressure. There is a sense that when he met with the Israelis, there was progress."
Arab states are calling on Israel and the incoming Trump administration to avoid a dangerous political vacuum in Gaza and allow the Palestinian Authority (PA), together with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to oversee the reconstruction of the territory, the Guardian reports.
The future governance of Gaza is due to be discussed at the start of talks on the second phase of the deal 16 days after the ceasefire began. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to raise the issue since the start of the war, believing that any discussion of the post-war structure of the Palestinian enclave could spark destabilizing internal political divisions within his ruling coalition.
In addition, the Israeli government is due to end all cooperation with UNRWA on January 30, raising questions about how a planned increase in aid after the ceasefire can be distributed in Gaza.
Arab states, supported by most European powers, insist that there is no alternative organization with UNRWA's scope and organization that is capable of overseeing the emergency distribution of food and supplies.
Up until now, Trump's future national security adviser, Mike Walz, has simply said: "Gaza must be completely demilitarized. "Hamas" must be destroyed beyond repair, and Israel has every right to defend itself."
Fear that Israel will fulfill its commitment to end all cooperation with UNRWA with the support of the Trump team is one of the most pressing issues, given the planned increase in aid from Sunday, once the ceasefire begins, the Guardian points out.