Security Cabinet to Discuss Deal With Hamas

The Security Cabinet on Sunday will discuss an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would see the implementation of a long-term cessation of hostilities, Channel 12 reported Motzoei Shabbos. The elimination of top Islamic Jihad terrorist Abu Alata last month “created conditions that made the agreement possible,” the report said.

Under the agreement, which was brokered by Egypt, Hamas commits to “act aggressively” against the firing of rockets at Israel and to cut down gradually on the riots that take place along the Gaza border fence, eventually eliminating them. On Thursday, Hamas announced that the demonstrations that have been taking place at the border fence for over a year and a half every Friday would now take place only once a month. With that, the IDF believes that Hamas’s ability to guarantee these results is limited.

Israel will commit to easing conditions for Gaza residents, including allowing more goods to enter Gaza and providing work permits to enter Israel. The area where Gazans can fish will be expanded, projects to develop energy and water resources will be inaugurated, and assistance will be provided to hospitals and other projects to benefit Gazans. Lebanese media over the weekend said that Israel was set to issue 5,000 work permits to Gazans, with another 5,000 to follow in the coming weeks.

The Cabinet will also discuss Sunday a proposal by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett that would cut an additional NIS 150 million from monies set to be transferred to the Palestinian Authority as a sanction against its continued payouts to terrorists and their families. The sum would be in addition to some NIS 650 million that was cut at the beginning of the year, as the PA refused to stop using money Israel collects in taxes on behalf of the PA to pay terrorists.