Israel’s Cabinet approved a cease-fire deal with Hamas on Wednesday that would bring a temporary halt to the war.
Under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, the Israeli government said Wednesday. It said it would extend the lull by an additional day for every 10 hostages released.
Israel says the first hostages set free should be women and children.
To be clear, the cease-fire is temporary. Ahead of Wednesday morning’s Cabinet vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas after the cease-fire expires.
Netanyahu convened his Cabinet for the vote late Tuesday. The meeting stretched well into the early hours of Wednesday morning, highlighting the sensitivity of this proposal that would result in a cease-fire against Hamas before it has reached its goals.
Prior to the vote, the prime minister sought to assure the government ministers that the cease-fire was tactical, and he vowed to resume on the offensive after the truce expires. Top security officials also attended the meeting.
“We are at war, and we will continue the war,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue until we achieve all our goals.”
Israel has made it crystal clear that they will not stop fighting Hamas until the terrorist organization is destroyed.
Netanyahu said that during the lull, intelligence efforts will be maintained, allowing the military to prepare for the next stages of the war. He said the battle would continue until “Gaza will not threaten Israel.”
To hear Tony Katz’s thoughts on the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, click the link below.
