The Gaza deal between Israel and Hamas aimed at stopping the war will come into effect only after a cabinet meeting later on Thursday, an Israeli official told The National. Israel’s cabinet will meet at 6pm local time. Once the government approves the deal, Israel will withdraw to the line stated in the agreement, the source said. “This should take 24 hours,” he added. At this point, the 72-hour period for hostage exchanges begins.
The current Israeli assessment, the official said, is that hostage releases will begin on Sunday or Monday.
