IDF readies to receive hostages returning from Gaza

The Israeli government approved the hostage deal at 1 a.m. on Saturday after over seven hours of debate, Walla reported.

Twenty-four ministers voted in favor, and eight ministers voted against.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting on the hostage deal talks soon, with the negotiations team, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post Tuesday. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said an agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal was right on the brink, adding that parties are awaiting final word from Hamas.

"It's right on the brink. It's closer than it's ever been before. But, right now, as we sit here, we await final word from Hamas on its acceptance, and until we get that word, we'll remain on the brink," Blinken said during an event at the Atlantic Council.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated in its Telegram that it had sent a senior delegation to Doha on Tuesday night to discuss the final details of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Hostage families were told that an agreement may potentially be signed "within hours," in a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday.

According to the families, the emerging deal will include three phases, but the current agreements only pertain to the first stage.

The families are demanding immediate continuation between all stages of the deal and oppose waiting until the 16th day. Netanyahu expressed agreement, stating, "There is no such thing as a humanitarian pause" and committed to bringing back all hostages. However, the families stressed: "Words are not enough."

The families are urging decision-makers to avoid political considerations and warn against missing the current opportunity for a comprehensive agreement. "Don’t leave any hostage behind," they emphasized.

Hamas has agreed to the proposed ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of numerous hostages, according to two officials involved in the negotiations, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, an Israeli official noted that while progress had been made, the final details were still under discussion.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft agreement, which was authenticated by both an Egyptian and a Hamas official. 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir admitted on Tuesday that his party had prevented a hostage deal from being achieved on numerous occasions.

העסקה המתגבשת היא נוראית. אני מכיר היטב את פרטיה:
היא כוללת שחרור מאות מחבלים רוצחים מבתי הכלא, חזרת עזתים בהם אלפי מחבלים לצפון הרצועה, מסיגה את צה"ל מציר נצרים, ומחזירה את האיום על תושבי העוטף - ובכך למעשה מוחקת את הישגי המלחמה שהושגו בדם רב של לוחמינו, עד כה, ברצועת עזה.
לא… pic.twitter.com/8bwuxB8uuc

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) January 14, 2025

"In the past year, through our political power, we succeeded in preventing this deal from moving forward, time and time again," he noted. 

A hostage deal could be announced on Tuesday if there are no last-minute surprises, sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post. 

Meetings will be held during the day in Qatar to finalize the deal. 

On Monday, a source told the Post that a three-phased plan to release the hostages held in Hamas captivity had been reached, with the parties awaiting Hamas's response.

The deal was reportedly achieved after a "breakthrough" in negotiations attended by teams of both US President Joe Biden and US President-elect Donald Trump.  

A hostage deal may be signed by the end of the week, US President-elect Donald Trump said in a phone interview with Newsmax on Monday. 

"I understand there's been a handshake, and they're getting it finished, maybe by the end of the week," Trump affirmed. 

"We're very close to getting it done," he noted. 

The terms of a hostage release deal that would see three hostages released on the first day of its implementation, with another four being released the following week, have reportedly been finalized, a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told the BBC late Monday.

In the report, the Palestinian official says that after the release of the first few hostages from the terrorist organization, the IDF would start the withdrawal of its soldiers from populated areas. Then, after the release of the other four hostages, Israel would allow displaced Palestinians in the south of the enclave to travel up north.

In exchange, Israel has reportedly agreed to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 190 who have been serving sentences for over a decade and a half. Hamas will release 34 hostages in exchange.