The deal stipulates that Hamas must provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release, with the first three captives expected to be freed at 4pm local time (2pm GMT).
The Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement early on Saturday following seven hours of deliberation. Twenty-four ministers voted for the agreement and eight voted against, with one absenting himself from the vote.
Israeli forces “have been preparing to receive the hostages after their release from Hamas captivity and is operating to provide suitable physical and psychological support, with careful attention to every detail,” according to a statement from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on Saturday.
“Alongside the agreement and our commitment to bringing home all the hostages, the IDF will continue to operate in order to ensure the security of all Israeli citizens, particularly those in communities near the Gaza Strip,” the statement continued.
The accord’s first stage was to see the phased release of 33 hostages – alive or dead – over a period of 42 days. Israel estimates that 25 of them are alive.
Three hostages are expected to be returned on Sunday and four more on the seventh day of the ceasefire.
Three hostages are set to be returned every week for the remaining four weeks, with 14 to be returned on the final, sixth week of the accord’s first stage. It is not known in what order the hostages will be released.Israel will, at the same time, begin releasing Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
According to details that emerged over the weekend, the agreement involves the release of 1,904 Palestinian prisoners, including 737 from the West Bank and 1,167 from Gaza. One of the most notorious terrorists to be released is Mohammad Abu Warda, convicted for his role in two 1996 Jerusalem bus bombings that killed 45 people. Wissam Abbasi, Mohammad Odeh, and Wael Qassim were jailed in connection to a string of bombings that killed more than 30 Israelis in civilian areas during the second intifada.
