The deal, reached after weeks of negotiations in Qatar, promises the phased release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas. But Israel has conceded to the release of hundreds of Palestinian criminals and terrorists held in prisons in Israel.

Once the Netanyahu government approves the deal, 33 of the nearly 100 remaining hostages are to be reunited with their loved ones over the next six weeks. The hostages have been held in brutal conditions since October of 2023 with no access to medical inspection and no contact with the outside world. It's unclear how many of them are still alive.

The ceasefire would also allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to their homes.

DEVELOPING...

Before the deal was announced, many Israelis expressed their opposition to controversial aspects of the plan. Others were encouraged by some of the practical goals of the proposed deal.

EARLIER REPORT:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose term in office will end Monday, stated, "For the past several months, Hamas has played the spoiler. But over the past several weeks, our intensive efforts have brought us to the brink of full and final agreement."

Yet, many Israelis are wondering how the proposal can be a good agreement since its three stages are dragged out over months, it doesn't destroy Hamas as a fighting force, and it allows thousands of terrorists with blood on their hands to go free.

"The first stage alone is spread over 42 days, and an awful lot can go wrong in 42 days," noted Middle East analyst Nomi Bar-Yaacov. She added, "And there can be provocations on either side."

Phase one of the deal includes the release of 33 hostages and begins an Israeli military staged withdrawal. It also releases terrorists with life sentences from Israeli prisons, except for Nukhba fighters who participated in the October 7th atrocities.

Israeli Government Spokesman David Mencer explained, "In stage one of the agreement, it will be humanitarian – women, children, those suffering illness, older people."

Stage two would begin on the 16th day, with talks on the release of more hostages and more Israel Defense Forces withdrawals from Gaza.

By the end of Stage 3, all hostages would be released, and the IDF would pull completely out of Gaza, only after the hostages were free.

It's this snail's pace of progress where the hostages are released over several months and not all at once that angers many Israelis.

Hadas Kalderon, the former wife of one hostage, declared, "We have to make sure this tragedy is finished."

Released hostage Moran Stella Yanai insisted, "No one should be left behind in darkness. These are our children, parents, brothers and sisters."

Yanai pleaded for international support. "Help us. Bring the hostages back home," she asked.

Gil Dickmann, the cousin of a hostage killed in captivity, asserted, "We don't want more hostages left behind, and we don't want to hear about more hostages being killed in captivity like my cousin."

Retired Israeli General Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the Defense and Security Forum, defended the deal in an interview with CBN News. He noted that Israel has three goals to achieve: eradicating Hamas as a governmental and military entity, bringing back all the hostages, and creating terms in which there will never again be a terror army in Gaza. He told us the agreement achieves one of the goals.

"We have a stage where we're releasing hostages," he said.

Currently, he contends, Israel can achieve the goal of bringing the hostages home, even at a heavy price. However, after the ceasefire, Israel can reach its other goals.

"Israel maintains freedom of operation after the ceasefire," Avivi explained. "This ceasefire also gives Israel time to reorganize (when) we get the new administration on board. We have Iran to deal with. But it's not saying that we cannot reverse and then go back and fight and win against Hamas."

Avivi believes it's possible the deal could break down before all the hostages return.

"But if this happens and we don't get all the hostages, the pressure on Hamas needs to be huge," he cautioned. "Stopping humanitarian aid, attacking, firstly, eliminating all the leaders of Hamas outside of Gaza, deporting them from Qatar."

In his Senate confirmation hearings on Monday, President-elect Trump's choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, apparently backed up Avivi's claim that the hostage release is not the end of the road. He favors Israel's achievement of its goals.

"I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," Hegseth stated. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Watch Gen. Avivi's full interview here

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East.

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