Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas for over a year have been freed as the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect despite an 11th-hour snag threatening to upend the fragile accord.
Three female hostages were set to be released from Gaza on Sunday -- with the terror group supposed to have provided their names on Saturday, according to Israeli officials.
“The first three freed people get out of hell and finally return home,” said Lior Ashkenazi, an Israeli actor who hosts weekly protests for the hostages.
The cease-fire, which will happen in three phases, was first announced Wednesday by the US and Qatar, who oversaw the negotiations of the agreement which is set to go into effect this weekend.
The meeting, which was being held at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, comes after negotiators inked the deal in Qatar late Thursday -- just hours after several setbacks threatened to upend the agreement.
The runway is likely built by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been suspected of expanding its military presence in the region and has backed a Saudi-led war against the Houthis.
The proposed terms, which include the release of hostages and at least a temporary pause in fighting in Gaza, were agreed to by the Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams, the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement.
