
TEL AVIV — A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been reached after 15 months of devastating war that has seen tens of thousands of people killed in the Gaza Strip, left scores of Israeli hostages in painful limbo and changed the face of the Middle East.
The truce, initially announced Wednesday, is expected to stop the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has killed more than 46,500 people and caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, according to local health officials. It will also see the phased release of dozens of hostages captured during the Oct. 7 2023, terror attack who are still being held in Gaza, as well as the release of hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel.
Hundreds of trucks of desperately needed aid are also expected to start entering the enclave daily once the ceasefire comes into force.
Here’s what we know so far about the three-phase deal:
What happens first?
The agreement outlines a roughly six-week initial ceasefire phase that is expected to start Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time, or 1:30 a.m. ET, the Israel Defense Forces have said.
Before a ceasefire could take effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to seek approval from his security Cabinet as well as from his full Cabinet. The security Cabinet approved the deal Friday, with Netanyahu’s office announcing early Saturday local time that the full Cabinet had also signed off on the deal.
The ceasefire could come into effect as early as Sunday, and the first hostages could also be released that same day.
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It comes after the Israeli leader’s office reported a delay on Thursday, accusing Hamas of creating a “last-minute crisis” by reneging on part of the deal.
In an interview with the Saudi state-owned television channel Al Arabiya on Thursday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied holding up the deal, saying there was “no basis” for claims the group had “backed down from the terms of the ceasefire agreement.”