"The government has approved the plan for the return of the abductees. The implementation of the plan for the release of the abductees will begin on Sunday, January 19, 2025," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, agreed on January 15 to a 42-day ceasefire and declared their intention to finally end the hostilities that have claimed the lives of 46,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis over 15 months, spreading to Lebanon and Yemen and provoking an exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran.