Israeli ministers debated the ceasefire for more than six hours on Friday [Getty]
The Israeli government approved the ceasefire and prisoner-exchange deal with Hamas in the early hours of Saturday morning, removing the final hurdle to achieving a vital period of calm for the devastated Gaza Strip.
Ministers voted 24 to eight in favour of the deal following six hours of talks in Jerusalem, paving the way for the long-sought truce to go into effect on Sunday morning.
Israel’s smaller security cabinet had earlier urged ministers to approve the ceasefire, which will see the two sides cease hostilities for an initial six-week period, allowing a surge of humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave.
Six ultranationalist cabinet ministers were joined by two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party in opposing the ceasefire.
The far-right Jewish Power and Religious Zionist parties have both threatened to resign from the government in response to the deal – a move that would bring down Netanyahu’s governing coalition and trigger fresh elections.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party is expected to stay in government for the duration of the temporary ceasefire but has said it would exit the coalition if the war does not resume at the end of the 42-day truce.
Under the terms of the Qatar, Egypt and US-mediated ceasefire, Israel will release more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners in return for Hamas freeing 33 of the estimated 94 captives it continues to hold in Gaza.
Israel will begin gradually withdrawing its troops from some areas of the strip while 600 trucks of humanitarian aid will be allowed to enter every day, providing vital supplies of food and medicine to a population suffering under months of Israeli siege.
The announcement of the ceasefire triggered an outpouring of relief among people in Gaza, who have been subjected to 15 months of bombardment and starvation conditions imposed by Israel.
Israel has destroyed most of the strip and killed almost 47,000 Palestinians since Hamas staged its cross-border attack on 7 October, 2023, though recent research has suggested the official death toll may be a significant undercount.
UN officials and human rights monitors have accused Israel of waging a genocidal war against the Palestinians, while Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant are both wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Aid agencies have expressed relief at the relaxation of restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid though Israel’s looming ban on the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) is expected to significantly impede the Gaza recovery effort.
UNRWA’s closure would have a “catastrophic” impact on Gaza’s population should the Israeli legislation come into force later this month, agency chief Phillippe Lazzarini said Friday, accusing Israel of sabotaging relief efforts.
