Israel’s Cabinet early Friday approved President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, a key step toward ending the two-year war that has destabilized the Middle East.
A brief statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Cabinet approved the “outline” of a deal to release the hostages, without mentioning other aspects of the plan that are more controversial.
The broader ceasefire plan includes many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza. But the sides appeared closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.
The troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players, US officials said Thursday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that were not authorized for release, said US Central Command is going to establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory.
The president opened a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House on Thursday by speaking about the ceasefire deal and his plans to travel to the Middle East. He said it is a complicated process for the hostages to be released from Gaza, but it will happen on Monday or Tuesday.
The war began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and took 251 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, devastated Gaza and upended global politics.
The war has sparked worldwide protests and brought widespread allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Uuncertainty remains about some of the thornier aspects of the plan
That includes whether and how Hamas will disarm, and who will govern Gaza. Under the plan, Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.
Trump said Thursday that he expects the hostages will be released from Gaza on Monday or Tuesday. Israel’s Cabinet has approved the “outline” of a deal to release hostages held by Hamas, Netanyahu’s office said early Friday.
The move marks a key step in implementing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that was brokered by Trump. The brief statement focused on the hostage release and made no mention of the other parts of Trump’s plan for ending the war. Israel is expected to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Around 20 of the hostages are believed to be alive. US troop announcement provides some of the first details on how a ceasefire would work
After Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the Trump administration plan to halt the fighting, a litany of questions remain on next steps, including Hamas disarmament, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a future government in the territory.
One of the officials said the new team would help monitor implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the transition to a civilian government in Gaza.
A coordination center will be staffed by about 200 U.S. service members who have expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering, said the official, who noted that no American troops will be sent into Gaza.
A second official said troops would come from U.S. Central Command as well as other parts of the globe. That official added that troops already have begun arriving and will continue to travel to the region over the weekend to begin planning and efforts to establish the center.
Hamas saw hostages more as a liability than asset over time, providing opening for deal, US officials say
The officials said that the U.S. team detected a shift in posture from the militants recently and that it provided an opening to finally reach a ceasefire deal.
The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
US sending about 200 troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire deal
The United States is sending the troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private sector players, U.S. officials say.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorized for release, say U.S. Central Command is going to establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory wracked by two years of war.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Thursday visited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office where they made a presentation on the plan to his cabinet on the merits of the deal, according to a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
The 20-point plan that Trump released for Gaza was written by Witkoff and Kushner, according to the official. (AP)
.
