Israeli security cabinet approves cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza Strip
The agreement provides for several phases including the release of hostages as well as the release from prison of Palestinian criminals affiliated with Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
The Israeli security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met Friday and voted in favor of signing the truce agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The signing of the deal comes after some delays due to opposition from Netanyahu's government partners and details of the pact altered by Hamas at the last minute, the Israeli side charged.
With the approval of the security cabinet, the official signing of the agreement passes to the full cabinet, which meets this Friday after bringing forward its meeting to approve the truce.
The deal, backed by Qatar and the United States, calls, in a first six-week phase, for the release of 33 hostages in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians convicted and serving sentences in Israel. The families of the hostages were informed and preparations were underway to receive them starting Sunday.
The signing of the agreement comes after Smotrich, the Zionist Party's finance minister, reached an agreement with Netanyahu to resume the war after the cease-fire. Also on the issue of the control of humanitarian aid being transferred to the Gaza Strip. With this agreement between Netanyahu and Smotrich, the religious party remains in the coalition government despite voting against the truce.
This is not the case of Itamar Ben Gvir, of Jewish Power, who announced late Thursday that his political formation would leave the coalition government after the signing of the truce.
Phases of the truce
The second phase, still under negotiation, calls for the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The third and final phase will focus on the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory and the return of the bodies of the dead hostages.
The cease-fire does not resolve the stumbling block over the political future of the Gaza Strip, population 2.4 million, governed since 2007 by a now very weak Hamas.
Israel opposes its administration from now on by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank with limited powers, and the Palestinians reject any foreign interference.