The Israeli government approved the hostage release/ceasefire deal in the early hours of Shabbos morning after over seven hours of deliberation, with 24 voting in favor versus eight opposed. The meeting was significantly delayed as the meeting of the security cabinet took longer than expected, delaying the Cabinet meeting until after the onset of Shabbos. In a surprise, Likud members Amichai Chikli and David Amsalem voted against the deal, along with Religious Zionist chairman Betzalel Smotrich and two members of his party, Orit Strock and Ofir Sofer; and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir and two members of his party, Amichai Eliyahu and Yitzchak Wasserlauf.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the security cabinet on Friday to discuss the proposed hostage release-ceasefire deal. The full Israeli government is set to meet at 3:30 p.m. to approve the agreement, with implementation scheduled to begin on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. Originally, the government meeting was planned for Saturday evening after Shabbos, but the timeline was moved up to expedite the process. Earlier in the day, Netanyahu participated in a security assessment with the negotiating team that returned overnight from Doha, where the final version of the agreement was signed. Despite delays in the deal’s signing and government approval, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the release of hostages from Gaza is still expected to proceed as planned on Sunday.

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas signed an agreement in Doha on Thursday to release hostages held in Gaza and initiate a long-awaited, tensely-negotiated, fragile ceasefire. However, the Israeli government is not expected to vote on the deal until Motzei Shabbos, delaying its implementation until at least Monday, according to Israeli officials. The Israeli security cabinet was initially set to convene Thursday morning to vote on the agreement. However, last-minute disputes during negotiations in Doha postponed the official signing. On Wednesday night, a disagreement emerged over the final list of Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the deal. Hamas pushed for the inclusion of terrorist leaders serving life sentences for orchestrating attacks.

New South Wales police have launched an investigation after cars were set on fire and defaced with antisemitic graffiti outside a Dover Heights home early Friday morning. The property, which was also doused with red paint, was previously owned by Alex Ryvchin, chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. The attack, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m., has left the local Jewish community reeling again, with multiple high-profile attacks against Jews and shuls in the past month. In the past several weeks, attacks have targeted two shuls in Sydney, and the historic Adass shul in Melbourne was torched, severely damaging it. This latest incident occurred in the heart of a neighborhood heavily populated with Jewish families.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has made a dramatic announcement on Thursday night following a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. A short statement for Ben-Gvir says: “The emerging deal is reckless. It includes the release of hundreds of murderers, the return of hundreds of thousands of Gazans to the northern part of the Strip, including thousands of terrorists, withdrawal from the Philadelphi Route, and cessation of the fighting. This deal will undo all the achievements we have brought to the country and does not secure the release of all the hostages.” “If the reckless deal is approved, we will submit our resignation letters to the Prime Minister. Otzma Yehudit will withdraw from the government.

All remaining obstacles in the hostage-ceasefire negotiations with Hamas have been resolved, multiple Israeli officials have announced, solidifying the agreement. This development follows an announcement by Qatari and US leaders yesterday. However, earlier today, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal, creating a last-minute crisis. At Shas party’s annual conference, chairman Aryeh Deri confirmed the breakthrough, stating, “A few minutes ago, I received final confirmation that all barriers have been overcome, and the deal is now progressing. Technical details are being finalized.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been confirmed by the United States and Qatar, pausing the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clearing the way for dozens of hostages to go home. Any deal still needs the approval of Israel’s Cabinet. So what happens now? This information is based on multiple news reports outlining the timeline following the ceasefire, which is set to take effect this Sunday. Additional details will be provided as the Israeli government releases further information to the public. FIRST PHASE STARTS ON SUNDAY Thirty-three Israeli hostages, including women, children and civilians over the age of 50 will be released over a 42 day period.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, air raid sirens echoed across Gush Dan, the Shfela, and Lachish regions shortly after 3:00 a.m., prompting millions of Israelis to seek shelter. The IDF reported that a ballistic missile was launched from Yemen, targeting Israel. The military stated that several interception attempts were made and believes one succeeded, although it stopped short of confirming a definitive interception. No damage or direct injuries were reported from the missile itself. However, Magen David Adom provided an update that emergency teams treated 11 individuals who sustained injuries while rushing to shelters. Additionally, three others were treated for anxiety-related symptoms.

Channel 12 reports that mediators have given Hamas a deadline to provide their response to the “final” version of a hostage-ceasefire agreement by midnight. According to unnamed sources cited in the report, Hamas has supplied Qatari mediators with a list of living hostages, as Israel had insisted. It is believed that Israel has reviewed this list. The report also states that, if the agreement moves forward, all individuals on a previously published list of 34 hostages—including women, children, and elderly or ill men—will be freed during the first phase, set to last 42 days. The release of hostages would reportedly start one week after the truce begins.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16. The total of confirmed fatalities stands at 16 victims, and the cases remain under investigation. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner’s office said in a statement Saturday evening. The previous number of confirmed fatalities was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to rise as cadaver dogs search leveled neighborhoods and crews assess the devastation. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing. Firefighters raced to cut off spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward the world famous J.