The first hostages may return to Israel as early as on Sunday, January 19, provided the Israeli cabinet approves the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
"Subject to the approval of the cabinet and the government, and the implementation of the agreement, the release of the hostages can proceed according to the planned framework, and is expected as early as Sunday," the statement reads.
Originally, the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas was announced on January 15 by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani who emphasized the mediation efforts by Doha, Washington and Cairo. On Friday, the Israeli security cabinet finally convened to approve the deal.
