The Israeli government on Saturday approved a ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Hamas. According to a report in the Times of Israel, the Cabinet approved the deal by a vote of 24-8. The deal will take effect on Sunday. The agreement will begin the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Families of 33 Israeli hostages informed

On Friday, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved the hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas and recommended the government to adopt it. The Israeli government's Hostages and Missing Persons Coordination Unit on Friday notified the families of 33 Israeli hostages who are expected to be freed in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

116 people killed in Israel's attack on Gaza

Due to the Gaza war, Israel's relations with Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen have been strained for the last 15 months. So far, about 47 thousand people have been killed in the Gaza war. 116 people were killed in Israel's attack on Gaza on Friday during the final round of discussions on the agreement.

Among those killed, 60 are women and children. Under the agreement, Hamas will release 33 hostages in the first phase of six weeks. These will include all women, children and people above 50 years of age. While Israel will release Palestinian women, children and youth below 19 years of age.

All obstacles to ceasefire in Gaza have been removed: Hamas

The number of Palestinians to be released will depend on the number of hostages to be released. The number of Palestinians to be released could be between 990 and 1,650. This agreement is a three-phase one. Hamas said on Friday, "All obstacles to a ceasefire in Gaza have been removed." Hamas has already accepted this agreement.

Right wing parties are against the agreement

The right-wing parties supporting the Netanyahu government have threatened to leave the government if a deal is reached. Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to resign if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. His colleague Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to leave the government if the war does not resume after the first phase of the six-week agreement ends. But most members of the cabinet are in favor of the agreement.

Only half of the 98 hostages are expected to be alive

Israel has said that 98 hostages are still in the custody of Hamas. These hostages include Israelis and citizens of other countries. But only about half of them are expected to be alive. Hamas may have the bodies of some of them.

Israeli officials have given the names of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase to their families, which has created a wave of happiness among them. These families have appealed to Prime Minister Netanyahu to complete the process of releasing the hostages soon.

Six hospitals are ready to take care of the released people

Preparations are being made in six hospitals in Israel to take care of the health of Israelis and people from other countries who are being released from Hamas' captivity after more than 15 months. Dr. Hager Mizrahi, head of Israel's medical directorate, has said that our concern is about the physical health and mental state of the hostages. They have lived in difficult conditions with little food and heavy pressure for 15 months. It may take several weeks to bring them back to normal.