The Palestinian authorities have welcomed the agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Minister of Civil Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, issued a statement to this effect.
"President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership welcome the humanitarian truce agreement, expressing deep appreciation for the dedicated efforts by Qatar and Egypt in achieving this milestone," - al-Sheikh shared on his Page X (formerly Twitter). - "We emphasize our persistent call for an immediate cessation of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid. A comprehensive political solution rooted in international law is imperative, leading to the end of the Israeli occupation and paving the way for the Palestinian people to attain freedom, independence, and sovereignty."
Earlier, Hamas announced that it had reached a four-day agreement with Israel, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, for a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip. The movement confirmed that the agreements involve the release of 50 women and children under the age of 19 held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons.
In response, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the government has approved a plan to return at least 50 hostages and implement a humanitarian pause for four days. After the completion of the four-day pause, the Israeli military will resume operations in the enclave. Netanyahu's office noted that for the release of ten more hostages, Israel will cease hostilities for a day. According to the Israeli side, more than 200 people are being held captive by militants.
Within the ruling coalition, the agreement with Hamas faced initial opposition from Israeli right-wing parties. However, only three ministers from the Jewish Power party voted against the agreement. The Times of Israel reported that once the Cabinet formally approves the deal, the Israeli public has 24 hours to appeal the release of certain Palestinian prisoners in court. The Israeli government believes that there will be no difficulty at this stage, and the deal could go into effect as early as Thursday.
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Based on materials from TASS