Israel's security cabinet approved the Gaza ceasefire agreement on Friday (Jan 17), which further involves the release of hostages held by both sides, as well as a ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. 

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Israeli PM Netanyahu said that subject to the approval of the Gaza ceasefire deal by Israel's security cabinet and government, the hostages will be released as early as Sunday according to the planned framework. 

"...While understanding that the proposed deal supports the achievement of the objectives of the war, the Security Cabinet has recommended that the Government approve the proposed framework," PMO said in a post on X. 

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Several Haredi ministers left the ongoing meeting of the Israeli security cabinet ahead of Shabbat but left notes which said they backed the deal, Channel 12 reported.

Further, Israel began its full cabinet meeting to vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostages release deal with Hamas, local media reported. 

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'No public display of joy'

The Israel Prison Service said in a statement on Friday that it is taking measures to block the "public display of joy" at the time when Palestinian prisoners are released as part of the truce deal.

“The commissioner of the Israel Prison Service, Kobi Yakobi, instructed that… to prevent public displays of joy in Ashkelon and other areas of Israel, the escort from ‘Shikma’ Prison will not be handled by civilian buses of the [International Committee of the] Red Cross,” the statement read.

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"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, with the hostages expected to be released as early as Sunday," the office said in a statement, according to AFP.

The Israeli security cabinet is holding a meeting and the full government is expected to meet tomorrow evening to approve the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. 

Also read: Israel destroyed top secret Iranian nuclear research site in October attacks: Report

Prior to the meeting, the Israeli PM participated in a security assessment to discuss the implementation of the truce deal with the negotiating team, which came back overnight from Qatar after signing the final agreement. 

Notably, the security cabinet needs to vote to accept the deal and then the wider Israeli government cabinet must formally approve it, before the ceasefire can come into force.

Aid awaits in Jordan to enter Gaza

As the cabinet meeting convenes, thousands of aid pallets in Jordan is waiting to enter Gaza. 

UN's children’s agency Unicef said that they have seen "thousands of aid pallets" held up in warehouses in Jordan waiting to go into Gaza.

Also read: Israel accuses Hamas of 'reneging' on parts of Gaza deal

Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said that more than 100 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip  by Israeli strikes since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday. 

Spokesman Mahmoud Basal says 101 people, including 27 children and 31 women, have been killed and more than 264 wounded.

Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)