🇬🇧 Friday 17/01/25 🇮🇱

RETURN AGREEMENT 9️⃣8️⃣ HOSTAGES 🎗️Day 469 /

  • Israel’s security cabinet approved an agreement on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip that would free Israeli hostages, ending two days of debate that had underscored the pact’s fragility.
  • Approval of the multi-phase deal came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had accused Hamas of reneging on parts of an agreement originally announced Wednesday, said negotiators had reached an agreement. https://lnk.sk/lomw
  • The recommendation by the forum of top ministers was made “after examining all diplomatic, security and humanitarian” aspects of the agreement, with the understanding that the deal “supports the achievement of the war’s goals,” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
  • The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, welcomed the security cabinet’s cease-fire approval. “I harbor no illusions — the deal will bring with it great challenges and painful, agonizing moments,” he said in a statement. https://lnk.sk/wf02 
  • „This is a disastrous decision,“ IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, according to Maariv. „For the many who will be kidnapped in the future, the hundreds and thousands of dead and injured who will be affected by it, for all citizens of Israel,… for many years to come.” 
  • Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir voted against the deal at the security cabinet, but were in the minority. Likud MKs Dudi Amsalem and Amit Halevi also expressed their opposition. https://lnk.sk/tvv1 
  • Earlier, Ben-Gvir posted on X/Twitter, „If the ‚deal‘ passes, we will leave the government with a heavy heart and I will leave an office in which I have invested all my strength for the past two years.” „I will make sure that Netanyahu continues to be prime minister, but I will leave because the deal that was signed is disastrous,“ he continued.
  • The full cabinet convened minutes before the start of Shabbat for a discussion and vote, with the meeting extending into the Jewish day of rest. The full cabinet is expected to vote by a large majority to approve the deal, which was signed overnight in Qatar and is set to take effect on Sunday. https://lnk.sk/affz 
  • A meeting of the full cabinet began at 3:30 p.m. It had earlier been expected to take place only on Saturday evening, but was moved up after numerous ministers, including Haredi members of the cabinet, said Shabbat considerations should not put off a life-saving matter.
  • The deal is currently scheduled to take effect on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. Unconfirmed reports in Hebrew media said the release of the first three female hostages was expected at 4 p.m. that day. 
  • Israel was expected to get the identities of the first returnees from Hamas by 4 p.m. Saturday.
  • Netanyahu’s office told the families of hostages that preparations were under way for the possibility of the deal going into effect as soon as Sunday.
  • President-elect Donald Trump, who had pushed hard for a deal to be wrapped up before his inauguration Monday, weighed in again as negotiators debated the last points. https://lnk.sk/lomw  
  • The Israeli government published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners it would be part of the first group to be freed as part of the cease-fire deal. More names will be published after ministers formally approve the deal, the Israeli justice ministry said. https://lnk.sk/wf02 

RUSSIA 🇷🇺 IRAN 🇮🇷 /

  • Russia hopes that the ceasefire in Gaza will lead to long-term stabilization of the region, President Vladimir Putin says at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Moscow. https://lnk.sk/mabc 
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement on Friday during Pezeshkian’s visit to Moscow. https://lnk.sk/sduy 

SYRIA 🇸🇾 /

  • The Internal Security Directorate of the new Syrian government announced the thwarting of weapons smuggling, including rocket warheads, that was on its way to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

ISRAEL 🇮🇱 /

  • Palestinian mother promises on Instagram video another October 7th terror attack each year. “Our children will harm you. I swear to you, it will happen.” https://lnk.sk/xix5
  • Defense Minister Israel Katz announced his decision Friday to free West Bank settlers held under administrative detention orders, tying it to the expected release of hundreds of Palestinian terror convicts as part of a hostage-ceasefire deal signed with Hamas in Doha Thursday night.  

WORLD 🌍 /

  • Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda is set to be appointed president of the International Court of Justice, according to media reports, after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier this week Nawaf Salam to designate him prime minister.

Other…

  • British low-cost carrier easyJet will resume flights to Israel from June 1, having suspended all of its routes to Tel Aviv following Iran’s first direct attack on Israel in April. https://lnk.sk/kdv5  

Sources: Wall Street Journal, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, New York Times, X/Twitter, Maariv and Israel realtime 

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