Israel has approved a long-awaited ceasefire deal with Hamas, paving the way for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip after 15 months of devastating fighting.
Israel’s government voted in favour of the truce after the country’s security cabinet, chaired by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, agreed to the ceasefire and hostage deal earlier on Friday. The vote is believed to have been 24 in favour and eight against early on Saturday morning local time.
Mr Netanyahu’s office said the first Israeli hostages will be released on Sunday, with the truce going ahead as planned after hours of uncertainty as to whether there would be a delay to the deal.
The ceasefire was announced on Wednesday but faced last-minute hurdles after Mr Netanyahu accused Hamas of “reneging” on parts of the deal.
Hamas said a few minutes after the Israeli announcement that the group was committed to the ceasefire agreement and US secretary of state Antony Blinken admitted there was a “loose end” to iron out.
It was not clear what caused the delay, but it was reported Hamas tried to add some of its members to the list of Palestinian prisoners that would be released under the exchange.
Key Points
- Israel approves ceasefire deal
- Hostages set to be released on Sunday, Israel says
- West Bank settlers to be ‘freed ahead of ceasefire'
- Israel’s far-right minister threatens to quit government
- Netanyahu says hostage release deal has been reached
Israel says 737 prisoners to be released in first phase of truce deal
05:00
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Shweta Sharma
Israel has said 737 prisoners are to be freed in the first phase of Gaza truce deal.
A ceasefire deal was reached early today. Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
The Hamas militant group has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
UN announces new plan to counter the surge in antisemitism
04:32
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Shweta Sharma
The United Nations announced new actions to counter the surge in antisemitism, including encouraging governments to enforce laws against hate crimes and discrimination.
The UN, created in the aftermath of the World War II Holocaust in 6 six million Jews were killed, has worked to counter antisemitism.
But the 193-member global organization has been accused of being antisemitic, including by US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for UN ambassador, New York Rep Elise Stefanik. She is pro-Israel and has called the UN a “den of antisemitism” that she intends to confront.
The UN Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism is mainly focused on strengthening and coordinating work throughout the United Nations, but it also includes recommendations for governments and organizations.
Miguel Moratinos, the head of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which developed the plan, said he was alarmed at the surge in antisemitic incidents online and offline, citing attacks on synagogues and religious sites, including after 7 Oct, 2023, attacks by Hamas.
“Unfortunately, our efforts, like those of national governments, have not been sufficient to curb the drivers of antisemitism,” he said.
US state department condemned for removing journalist for Gaza question
04:04
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Shweta Sharma
Journalist advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said it is “shocked” at the forced physical removal of a reporter, Sam Husseini, by security from a State Department briefing with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a post, RSF said Husseini was “violently removed from a @statedept press briefing for asking tough questions”.
“Such treatment of journalists is unacceptable for any administration and must not become precedent. Husseini must be allowed to do his job without further incident,” it said.
Mr Husseini was removed after he began confronting Mr Blinken over a series of questions over US’ support to Israel as the Secretary of State asked him to “respect the process”.
RSF was shocked to see @samhusseini violently removed from a @statedept press briefing for asking tough questions. Such treatment of journalists is unacceptable for any administration and must not become precedent. Husseini must be allowed to do his job without further incident. https://t.co/ZilpH1iOjg
— RSF (@RSF_inter) January 17, 2025
Before being removed, the journalist shouted: “Criminal! Why aren’t you in The Hague?”
“You pontificate about a free press! I am asking questions after being told by [spokesman] Matt Miller that he will not answer my questions,” he added as he was taken out.
A ceasefire in Gaza is a victory for Netanyahu – and Hamas
04:02
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Tom Watling
Palestinians awaiting aid to contain devastating humanitarian crisis
03:41
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Shweta Sharma
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has left civilians in Gaza grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis marked by hunger, cold, and illness. The recently agreed ceasefire includes provisions to significantly increase humanitarian aid.
According to Reuters, international organizations have stationed aid trucks at Gaza’s borders, ready to deliver essential supplies such as food, fuel, and medicine.
On Friday, the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA announced it had prepared 4,000 truckloads of aid, with half of them containing food, for immediate entry into the coastal enclave.
Displaced Palestinian Reeham Sheikh al-Eid said, “I hope it will happen so we’ll be able to cook in our homes and make whatever food we want, without having to go to soup kitchens and exhaust ourselves for three or four hours trying to get [food] – sometimes not even making it home”.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates that aid deliveries to Gaza should rise to 600 trucks daily, surpassing the minimum requirement of 500 trucks that aid agencies deem necessary to address the territory’s dire humanitarian crisis.
Six hospitals preparing to receive hostages
03:26
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Shweta Sharma
Six hospitals across the country are preparing to receive hostages, including two in the south, closer to Gaza, that will treat those with acute medical issues, health ministry officials said.
The Red Cross team that will transfer the hostages from Gaza to Egypt and the small Israeli military medical team that will meet the hostages at the border as they cross into Israel have strict guidelines for what the hostages can eat in their first few hours, Dr Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Ministry of Health’s medical directorate said.
“Given the physical and emotional conditions, we expect emotional withdrawal symptoms, such as maybe exhaustion, fatigue — and some will probably need assistance with their mobility,” Dr Einat Yehene, a psychologist at the Hostages Families Forum who oversees the captives’ rehabilitation said.
Medical officials are also prepared for the possibility that returning hostages will need speech therapy, especially if they have been kept in isolation, Dr Yehene noted. She said some might be so traumatized or in shock from the transfer to Israel that they will be unable to speak at all.
To minimize the hostages’ trauma and allow them to acclimate to their new reality, officials will try to limit the number of people who interact with them and have made accommodations to lessen their sensory stimulation, such as stripping down the hospital rooms and changing the lighting.
Israel’s Ministry of Social Welfare has also planned temporary housing solutions if hostages feel unable to return directly from the hospital to their home.
Israel says exact conditions of hostages to be released are unknown to them
03:08
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Shweta Sharma
Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza with the expectation that many are likely to have severe, life-threatening complications after more than a year in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
While it’s impossible to know the exact conditions in which hostages have been held, the Health Ministry and the Hostages Family Forum, which represents families of the hostages, are preparing for several different scenarios based on information gathered from hostages previously released or rescued.
Hagai Levine, who heads the health team at the Hostages Families Forum, said he expects the hostages to return with cardiovascular and respiratory issues due to lack of ventilation in the tunnels.
Among multiple other afflictions Levine expects are vitamin deficiencies, starvation, dramatic weight loss, vision problems due to a lack of sunlight, broken bones, cognitive impairment and mental health trauma.
As a result, doctors are expecting the hostages will require longer and more complex medical and mental health interventions than did those who returned after the last ceasefire in November 2023, said Dr Einat Yehene, a psychologist at the Hostages Families Forum who oversees the captives’ rehabilitation.
The terrible cost of peace between Israel and Hamas: In numbers
03:01
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Tom Watling
Israeli troops preparing for ceasefire
02:50
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Shweta Sharma
The Israeli military announced that its forces inside Gaza are making preparations for a ceasefire set to commence tomorrow.
As part of the truce, Israeli troops will begin a phased withdrawal from specific areas and routes within the Gaza Strip.
However, according to the military, Palestinian residents will not be permitted to return to locations previously occupied by Israeli forces or areas near the border with Israel, as reported by the Associated Press.
The agreement also outlines the release of 33 hostages over the coming six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Starmer visits Auschwitz and vows to fight the antisemitism he sees growing in the UK
02:01
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Tom Watling
CIA employee who leaked classified documents on Israel's plans to strike Iran to plead guilty
01:01
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Tom Watling
A CIA employee who was accused of leaking classified documents about Israel‘s plans to strike Iran will plead guilty to criminal charges that he willfully retained and transmitted national defence information, according to a court filing.
US imposes sanctions on Yemeni financial institution in action against Houthis
00:00
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Tom Watling
The US has imposed sanctions on a Yemen-based financial institution that Washington accused of financially supporting the Houthis, as President Joe Biden’s administration sought to further pressure the militant group before Biden leaves office.
The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on Yemen Kuwait Bank, accusing it of helping the Houthis exploit the Yemeni banking sector to launder money and transfer funds to allies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023. They have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers. The intensity of the attacks has disrupted global shipping and prompted route changes.
The attacks have disrupted international commerce, forcing some ships to take the long route around southern Africa rather than the Suez Canal, leading to increases in insurance rates, delivery costs and time that stoked global inflation fears.
The Houthis seized power in Yemen in late 2014 and control most parts of the country including the capital Sanaa. They have also launched missiles and drones towards Israel, hundreds of kilometres to the north. Israel has responded by striking Houthi areas on several occasions. Last week Israeli warplanes bombed two ports and a power station.
Israeli government approves peace deal
Friday 17 January 2025 23:17
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Tom Watling
The Israeli government ratified the Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, after a cabinet meeting that lasted more than six hours and ended in the early hours of Saturday.
Under the deal, bitterly opposed by some cabinet hardliners, a six-week ceasefire is due to take effect on Sunday, with the first of a series of hostage-for-prisoner exchanges that could open the way to ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority says it is ready to assume ‘full responsibility’ in Gaza
Friday 17 January 2025 22:00
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Tom Watling
The Palestinian Authority has said they are ready to assume “full responsibility” of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on X, the group in charge of the West Bank wrote: “The Palestinian government has completed all preparations to assume full responsibilities in the Strip and that the government administrative and security personnel were fully prepared to carry out their tasks in order to alleviate the suffering inflicted on the Gaza population, allow displaced persons to return to their homes, restore essential services to the Strip, assume responsibility for the border crossings and help commence Gaza reconstruction.”
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal is ‘last chance for Gaza,’ says Qatar prime minister
Friday 17 January 2025 21:01
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Tom Watling
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas currently going through the Israeli parliament for approval will be the “last chance for Gaza”, the Qatari prime minister has claimed.
Speaking to Sky News, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said: “What we have reached with this deal, this will be the last chance for Gaza.
“When we talk about peace in general, peace won’t happen unless there is a Palestinian state at the end of the day.
“We must address the root causes of the issue and not just the symptoms.”
Israeli foreign minister backs ceasefire deal
Friday 17 January 2025 20:56
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Tom Watling
Israel’s foreign minister has revealed he backed the ceasefire deal during this afternoon’s security cabinet meeting, adding that he will do so again in the wider government vote.
In a post shared on Facebook, Gideon Sa’ar also writes that fellow Knesset member Ze’ev Elkin is also voting for the agreement.
Nine deny attack on Israeli firm Elbit's UK warehouse
Friday 17 January 2025 20:30
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Tom Watling
Nine people appeared in a London court on Friday to deny offences including burglary, criminal damage, violent disorder and hitting a police officer with a sledgehammer, over an incident at a warehouse linked to Israeli defence firm Elbit.
The nine, who prosecutors have said were activists from the protest organisation Palestine Action, are accused of smashing their way into the Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol, southwest England, in August.
At a previous hearing, prosecutors said a repurposed prison van was used to smash through fencing before some of the group damaged items in the warehouse using sledgehammers.
Four men and five women, aged between 20 and 51, appeared by video link on Friday at London’s Old Bailey Court. All nine pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary and causing criminal damage which has been estimated at 1 million pounds.
Seven of them also denied a charge of violent disorder, while one, Simon Corner, pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, for allegedly striking a police officer with a sledgehammer.
Another nine people also charged with offences over the incident appeared at Friday’s hearing but did not enter pleas.
Trump claims he secured peace in Gaza – can he do the same in Ukraine?
Friday 17 January 2025 20:01
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Tom Watling
Israel releases names of Palestinians to be freed
Friday 17 January 2025 19:30
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Tom Watling
Israel has released the names of nearly 100 Palestinians to be freed on Sunday as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel’s justice ministry released the names of 95 people. The list includes women and young men up to 25 years old.
It also includes the relatives of senior Hamas officials.
‘A ceasefire is just the start’ say British Palestinians with family in Gaza
Friday 17 January 2025 19:02
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Tom Watling
British Palestinians with family in Gaza have expressed their relief over the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, but say they are worried about what’s going to happen next.
Israel’s security cabinet met on Friday to approve the ceasefire deal, paving the way for the full Israeli cabinet to sign off on the deal, which would come into place on Sunday and see the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Wafaa Shamallakh, 38, an Arabic interpreter who works for Kingston Council, said that while she was happy to share the news of the ceasefire with her siblings in Gaza, she still fears for them.
Ms Shamallakh, who has lived in Kingston, south-west London, for the last 17 years, said she lost 10 members of her family in an airstrike in Sheikh Eljeen, south-west Gaza on October 8 2023.
Her mother is currently in Egypt after losing her home in Gaza, while her brother and sister are currently staying in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
“Since the announcement (on Wednesday), more than 80 people have been killed, so we’re still waiting for Sunday,” Ms Shamallakh told the PA news agency.
“There’s no guarantees that the Israeli side will do what they agreed. We’re still afraid and scared of what’s going to happen next.”
Countdown to Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages begins
Friday 17 January 2025 18:28
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Tom Watling
Houthi protest in Yemen - pictures
Friday 17 January 2025 18:01
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Tom Watling
Lady Starmer's emotional return to Auschwitz as she visits concentration camp with prime minister
Friday 17 January 2025 17:30
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Tom Watling
Israel’s far-right ministers slam ceasefire deal
Friday 17 January 2025 17:01
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Tom Watling
Far-right politicians in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government have called for the ceasefire agreement to be rejected.
Far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, who is the Israeli minister for national security, described the deal as “terrifying”.
His party, Otzama Yehudit, is in a coalition with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
“I call on my friends in the Likud and in religious Zionism, it is not yet too late, we are before a government meeting, we can stop this deal, join me, we can stop it,” he wrote on X.
The terrible cost of peace between Israel and Hamas: In numbers
Friday 17 January 2025 16:31
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Tom Watling
Who are the 33 Israeli hostages set to be released under first phase of Gaza ceasefire?
Friday 17 January 2025 16:00
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Alexander Butler
What is the third phase of the ceasefire?
Friday 17 January 2025 15:45
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Alexander Butler
The third and final stage would involve the reconstruction of Gaza - something which could take years – and the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies.
The deal requires 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the ceasefire, 50 of them carrying fuel, and 300 of the trucks allocated to the north of the strip.
Israel allows aid into the enclave but there have been disputes over the amount allowed in, as well as the amount that reaches people in need, with looting by criminal gangs an increasing problem.
What is the second phase of the ceasefire?
Friday 17 January 2025 15:31
,
Alexander Butler
The second and most difficult phase will mark “a permanent end to the war,” president Biden said earlier this week.
It will include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw completely from Gaza.
This would be done in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Of the 1,000 Palestinian prisoners Israel is thought to have agreed to release overall, about 190 are serving sentences of 15 years or more.
Live: Israelis gather in Hostage Square as security cabinet approves ceasefire deal
Friday 17 January 2025 15:03
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Alex Croft
Russia hopes for stability in Middle East after ceasefire, Putin says
Friday 17 January 2025 14:58
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Alex Croft
Russia hopes that a ceasefire in Gaza will lead to long-term stability in the Middle East, president Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin said it was important not to weaken efforts towards a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Pezeshkian expressed hope that the ceasefire would be implemented.
Palestinian death toll nears 47,000 - Gaza health ministry
Friday 17 January 2025 14:45
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Alex Croft
Israel has killed at least 46,876 Palestinians since the 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry has said.
Another 110,642 have been wounded in the devastating offensive, which began following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel 15 months ago.
What is the first phase of the ceasefire?
Friday 17 January 2025 14:30
,
Alexander Butler
The first stage would last six weeks from Sunday and see “a full and complete ceasefire”, US President Joe Biden said as he confirmed a deal had been reached on Wednesday.
Up to 33 of the nearly 100 hostages would be reunited with their families and loved ones during this period. At least three would be released each week and the remainder before the end of the six weeks.
Living hostages will be released first, followed by remains of dead hostages. At the same time, Israel will release 30 Palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage and 50 Palestinian detainees for every Israeli female soldier Hamas releases.
The total number of Palestinians released will depend on hostages released, and could be between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian detainees including men, women and children.
Israeli troops will also pull out of all populated areas of Gaza during this stage, Biden said, while “the Palestinians [could] also return to their neighbourhoods in all the areas of Gaza”.
Macron urges Israel to accelerate withdrawal from Lebanon
Friday 17 January 2025 14:25
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Alex Croft
Israel has been urged to accelerate its withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon by French president Emmanuel Macron.
A ceasefire deal last year brought an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The deal requires Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days and for Hezbollah to remove all its fighters and weapons from the south.
During a visit to Beirut, Mr Macron said Lebanon’s military must have a total monopoly on weapons in the country, and expressed France’s support for strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.
“We need a total withdrawal of the Israeli army,” Macron said, speaking alongside the new Lebanese president Joseph Aoun.
“We support... the increased power of the Lebanese armed forces and their deployment in the south of the country. The Lebanese armed forces constitute a pillar of the sovereignty of Lebanon,” he added.
Hamas accuses Israel of trying to ‘thwart’ ceasefire
Friday 17 January 2025 14:00
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Alexander Butler
Hamas has accused Israel of unleashing “horrific massacres” in Gaza to “thwart” a ceasefire agreement in the enclave.
“Israel is deliberately committing these massacres in its quest to thwart the ceasefire agreement,” the organisation said on Friday.
At least 111 Palestinians have been killed – including 28 children and 31 women – since the deal was announced on Wednesday, according to Gazan health authorities.
‘We’re counting the seconds to peace... the bombing hasn’t stopped’ – inside Gaza
Friday 17 January 2025 13:30
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Alexander Butler
Security cabinet approves ceasefire deal
Friday 17 January 2025 13:16
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Alexander Butler
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war-time security cabinet has approved a long-awaited ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The cabinet convened at 10.15am (8.15am GMT) to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal set to bring an end to the brutal 15-month conflict this weekend.
The deal will now be discussed and voted on by Israel’s wider government for final approval after days of wrangling over details.
Netanyahu’s office said the first Israeli hostages will be released on Sunday, with the truce going ahead as planned after hours of uncertainty as to whether there would be a delay to the deal.
The terrible cost of peace between Israel and Hamas: In numbers
Friday 17 January 2025 13:00
,
Alexander Butler
Everything we know about the Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza
Friday 17 January 2025 12:40
,
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Security Cabinet meeting
Friday 17 January 2025 12:14
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Alexander Butler
The Security Cabinet discussion has begun, at the Prime Minister's Office.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 17, 2025
Before the meeting, an operational security assessment was held on the implementation of the agreement, chaired by Prime Minister Netanyahu, together with the negotiating team which has returned from Doha pic.twitter.com/3uPMwTSO3U
Iran hails Gaza ceasefire deal as Israel’s 'surrender’
Friday 17 January 2025 11:31
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Alexander Butler
Iran’s foreign minister has called the Gaza ceasefire deal a “surrender” for Israel and reaffirmed Tehran’s continued support for Hamas, according to a statement from the country’s foreign ministry.
He said Hamas’ “resilience compelled the occupying regime [Israel] to surrender and accept the ceasefire agreement and the exchange of prisoners,” the statement said.
In a statement, Hamas thanked Iran, saying the truce was achieved partly due to Iran’s support during the war, particularly Tehran’s two military assaults on Israel last year.
West Bank settlers to be ‘freed ahead of ceasefire'
Friday 17 January 2025 11:01
,
Alexander Butler
Israel’s defence minister will release dozens of West Bank settlers to “encourage and strengthen” settlements across the illegally occupied territory ahead of the ceasefire.
Israel Katz said the settlers would be freed “in light of the expected release of terrorists from Judea and Samaria as part of the hostage release deal,” according to The Times of Israel.
Under the ceasefire, set to come into force on Sunday, Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for Israeli hostages kidnapped during Hamas’s brutal 7 October attack.
“In light of the expected release of terrorists from Judea and Samaria as part of the hostage release deal, I have decided to release the settlers detained in administrative detention.
“[This will] convey a clear message of strengthening and encouraging the [West Bank] settlements, which are at the forefront of the struggle against Palestinian terrorism and facing growing security challenges.
“It is better for the families of Jewish settlers to be happy than the families of released terrorists,” he said on Friday.
Macron says two French-Israelis among first hostages to be freed
Friday 17 January 2025 10:53
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Alexander Butler
French president, Emmanuel Macron, said on Friday that French-Israeli citizens Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are in the first group of hostages to be freed by Hamas after a ceasefire with Israel.
Macron’s annoncement came after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel is expected to begin on Sunday.
'Everybody is tense': Family of released hostage hopeful of ceasefire confirmation
Friday 17 January 2025 10:30
,
Alexander Butler
Hostages set to be released on Sunday, Israel says
Friday 17 January 2025 10:17
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Alexander Butler
The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is expected to begin as originally scheduled on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said, after hours of uncertainty over the timing of final cabinet approval of the deal.
“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,” it said.
Bombs are still dropping – but the ceasefire deal in Gaza will go ahead
Friday 17 January 2025 10:00
,
Alexander Butler
Watch: Huge blasts on Gaza skyline as Palestinians await ceasefire
Friday 17 January 2025 09:30
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Alexander Butler
Israel’s security cabinet discuss ceasefire
Friday 17 January 2025 09:18
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Alexander Butler
Israel’s security cabinet convened at 10.15am (8.15am GMT) to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, according to an Israeli official.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet would meet following the announcement that negotiators had reached a deal in Doha for the hostages’ release.
Eight of the security cabinet’s 11 members are from Netanyahu’s Likud party. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right coalition partners in the security cabinet, have openly opposed the deal.
However, Israeli media reported that Smotrich had reached an agreement with Netanyahu over the deal on Friday.
The wider Israeli government will vote vote to ratify the deal on Saturday ahead of the ceasefire’s expected implementation on Sunday.
‘We’re counting the seconds to peace... the bombing hasn’t stopped’ – inside Gaza
Friday 17 January 2025 09:00
,
Alexander Butler
‘Happiness, sadness, grief and worry’ across Israel and Gaza following ceasefire deal agreement
Friday 17 January 2025 08:30
,
Alexander Butler
Netanyahu makes deal with far-right minister over ceasefire
Friday 17 January 2025 08:19
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Alexander Butler
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has come to an understanding with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the hostage-ceasefire deal signed with Hamas in Doha last night, according to Hebrew media reports.
The two reached an agreement over the far-right minister’s demand that the Israeli military return to fighting Hamas in Gaza after a temporary ceasefire and over the issue of control over humanitarian aid being transferred to the Palestinian enclave, according to Channel 12 News and the Walla news site.
Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party will vote against the deal but remain in the government as a result of the agreement, the reports say.
Last night, Smotrich’s fellow far-right coalition member Itamar Ben Gvir said his Otzma Yehudit party will quit the government if the deal is approved.
