
The Israeli Security Cabinet voted on Friday to approve the hostage deal with Hamas. Only Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich voted against the deal.
The Prime Minister's Office stated: "Following an evaluation of all diplomatic, security, and humanitarian aspects, and 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." The Government will convene at 3:30 p.m. Israel time.
During the meeting, Netanyahu read out parts of his conversation with President Biden and said that one thing was made clear with both Biden and President-elect Trump, and that is that if the negotiations on the second phase of the deal fail, Israel will return to intensive fighting. The heads of the security establishment strongly supported the deal and emphasized that it has all the safeguards to ensure the State of Israel's security interests.
ISA Director Ronen Bar emphasized the importance of ratifying the hostage deal immediately, while warning of the risks.
"It is important to ratify the deal as fast as possible and not to defer the general cabinet meeting to tomorrow," Bar stated. "As long as there is a consensus, there is no need to drag it out. The earlier we bring the hostages home, the better."
Bar emphasized that any delay may endanger the hostages and provide Hamas more time to regroup.
Minister of Culture Miki Zohar stated: "After I learned the details of the deal, I was convinced that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump insisted on the fundamental principles critical to Israel's security and more is unknown than is known."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir strongly protested the deal since it includes the release of dangerous terrorists who may attack Israel again. "If until yesterday I was terrified of this deal, today, as more and more details come out about the release of terrorists with life sentences into Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria when everyone knows that the terrorists will again attack and kill, I am so much more terrified.
The Minister called on his fellow coalition members to work to stop the process and noted that it is not too late to oppose it.