The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has announced that the first batch of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza may be released as early as Sunday pending approval of a ceasefire and hostage release deal by the Israeli government.
A meeting of the Israeli security cabinet commenced on Friday morning to vote on the proposed ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was initially announced in Qatar on Wednesday. A subsequent full cabinet vote will be necessary for the agreement to come into effect.
If the cabinet and government approve the deal and it is implemented, the PMO stated that the release of the hostages could follow the planned outline, with the hostages potentially being freed as soon as Sunday.
Should the agreement be finalized, Hamas and its affiliated militant groups are expected to release 33 hostages who were captured from Israel during the attacks that occurred on October 7, 2023. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
