Jerusalem: Israel's security cabinet has recommended approving a deal that would pause the fighting in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants.
The deal will now go to the full cabinet for approval before the ceasefire goes into effect. The prime minister's office said that if a deal is passed, the ceasefire could start Sunday with the first hostages released.
The security cabinet meeting came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said there were last-minute snags in finalizing the ceasefire agreement. Israel had delayed a security cabinet vote Thursday, blaming the dispute with Hamas for holding up approval. However, a pre-dawn statement cleared the way for the deal to be voted on.
Under the deal expected to begin Sunday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Israel's offensive has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
