Israel govt approves ceasefire deal with Hamas to free hostages, end Gaza conflict

By our Special Correspondent

In a significant move towards ending the 15-month-long war in Gaza, Israel's government on Saturday approved the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which will go into effect on Sunday, January 19 and includes a series of hostage exchanges.

          After more than six hours of deliberations on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the Israeli cabinet green signaled the agreement which calls for a six-week ceasefire, a key component of a three-phase plan aimed at releasing hostages and prisoners.