Israeli Government Approves First Phase of Hostage Deal after Late-Night Vote

The Israeli government gave final approval early Thursday to the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement linked to US President Donald Trump’s plan, following talks in Sharm el-Sheikh. The cabinet and government meetings ran late into the night as ministers compiled lists of prisoners to be released; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision after the vote. Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Orit Struck, Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu registered objections.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who returned from the Egyptian talks, met with Netanyahu and unusually joined the government meeting for about half an hour. Applause was later heard from inside the chamber after the two Americans spoke with ministers, officials said.

government — not cabinet — authorized releases

The political-security cabinet convened late, and the full government meeting scheduled for 18:00 was postponed until 22:15. Netanyahu was absent at the start, holding private talks with the US envoys. No formal vote was taken in the smaller cabinet; instead, the full government approved the prisoner-release elements of the deal after a detailed briefing and a contentious debate over which prisoners would be freed.

Officials said a major point of contention throughout the night was the identity of prisoners to be released. Security officials and negotiators argued the concessions were necessary to secure the immediate return of the hostages; opponents, led vocally by Justice Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, called the price “unbearable.”

What the agreement stipulates

The government resolution lays out the core elements of the first phase:

• Hostage release: Within 72 hours of completion of IDF preparations, 20 Israeli hostages alive and 28 hostages who have died will be returned to Israel — a total of 48 individuals, four of whom are non-Israeli nationals. Israeli officials cautioned some of the dead may not be immediately locatable and could be returned later.

• Prisoner releases: Israel will release 250 prisoners serving life sentences and roughly 1,700 Gaza residents detained after October 7 who were not directly involved in the massacre.

• Bodies swap formula: Israel will transfer the remains of 360 terrorists to Gaza under a formula of 15 terrorist bodies for each Israeli hostage returned (the number of bodies transferred will be adjusted if fewer hostages are returned).

• Restrictions on released prisoners: Security prisoners convicted of murder or of manufacturing weapons used in deadly attacks will be released only if transferred to Gaza or a third country, and barred from returning to Israel or the West Bank permanently. Many of those deported are expected to be accepted by countries such as Turkey and Qatar.

• Deportation and monitoring: The agreement includes arrangements to deport some released detainees abroad and to establish international monitoring mechanisms.

International role and task force

Turkey announced it will join a “Task Force for Gaza” to monitor implementation, saying Ankara will oversee the agreement’s on-the-ground execution. Sources said the task force — decided during the Sharm el-Sheikh talks — will focus on three axes: humanitarian aid, locating and collecting casualties, and monitoring the ceasefire. The task force is to include Israel, the United States, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar.

Washington has pledged support: Israeli officials said the US will deploy about 200 soldiers to the region to assist with security and logistics, though US personnel will not enter the Gaza Strip itself.

Timeline, publication of lists and map

An Egyptian source told Arab media the implementation timetable will span five days. The government said prisoner lists and the initial withdrawal map will be published following final IDF preparations. Officials expect the physical returns and border and crossing arrangements to begin on Monday or Tuesday, with negotiations on subsequent phases to start immediately afterwards. President Trump is expected to visit Israel in the coming days following the deal.

Uncertainties and outstanding issues

Officials warned of practical complications: Hamas has said it cannot definitively account for the location of all 28 fatalities, and nine of the dead hostages may not be immediately recoverable. A special multinational task force will be set up to search for and, if possible, recover the remaining bodies.

The government decision allows release of prisoners deemed not directly involved in October 7; security officials stressed those judged too dangerous — including high-profile figures like Marwan Barghouti — will not be freed. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Barghouti will not be released.

Voices from the room: debate grew heated

At the cabinet meeting, Aryeh Deri (Shas) and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir praised the deal’s results and the military’s achievements. Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter defended the agreement as an outcome once thought impossible. Deputy Shin Bet chief — head of the negotiating team — told ministers he too struggled with the concession but called it “the price we have to pay” to bring hostages home.

Ben-Gvir denounced the releases as unacceptable, repeatedly invoking past prisoner releases that he said had led to renewed violence. He said he would vote against the deal but stopped short of resigning. During exchanges with the US envoys, Ben-Gvir criticized the terms; Kushner and Witkoff countered that Hamas had been isolated and compelled by pressure to accept the deal.

Public reaction and prayers for return

Following the approval, hundreds gathered early Thursday in Hatufim (Captives) Square for morning prayers. Rabbi Tamir Granot, who lost his son in the war, led a service and urged faith that the hostages would return within 72 hours. Families of abductees and civic leaders remained cautiously optimistic but emphasized they would only celebrate when loved ones were back home.

Next steps

With the government vote complete, IDF units will finish preparatory steps for the handover and withdrawals defined in the first-phase map. Negotiators will publish prisoner lists and initiate logistics for the transfer of hostages, bodies and prisoners, while multinational monitors and humanitarian agencies prepare to begin aid deliveries and monitoring tasks should the ceasefire hold.