Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have finally relented. After more than a year of refusing to agree to an end to the war in Gaza, he is now pushing through a ceasefire that – mediators insist – will do just that.

The problem for Netanyahu is Netanyahu. Consumed by the desire to stay in power, he has been wedged between overwhelming public demand for the hostages to be released, and those who keep him in power—his coalition partners.

The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza with ceasefire talks ending with success in Qatar.

Israel's cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday, a day ahead of the agreement's scheduled start.

If approved by the full cabinet Friday, the three-stage ceasefire plan will see Hamas release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children and men over 50, and Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained in Israeli jails within the first six-week phase.

Gvir, claimed to have scuppered similar agreements over the past year. But, the prime minister has blamed Hamas for the failures.

War in Gaza has acted as a protective shield – now Israel’s prime minister faces political, legal and personal challenges

Netanyahu ‘is nothing if not obsessive, and he's still trying to get us to fight Iran this day, this week,’ Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs says in lecture - Anadolu Ajansı

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure for months from political allies and the families of hostages and soldiers to end the Gaza war, but analysts say he now hopes the ceasefire will help him stay in power.

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The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza with ceasefire talks ending with success in Qatar.