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CT, NY officials react to ceasefire in Gaza as deal stalls in Israel’s cabinet

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., asks a question during a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, Thursday, May 18, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
/
AP
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., asks a question during a Senate Special Committee.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas hit a snag on Thursday when the Israeli cabinet refused to meet and approve it.

The first phase of the deal was set to begin on Sunday — fighting in Gaza would stop for 42 days, and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be freed. Israeli troops would back out of some parts of Gaza and allow Palestinians to return to what’s left of their homes.

Israel officials have accused Hamas of changing the proposed deal — according to the Associated Press, it was a concern about how far Israeli troops would have to withdraw in Gaza; according to Reuters, it was a concern about which prisoners Israel would release.

Lawmakers from Connecticut and New York said they’re anxious about a deal. Since the ceasefire had been announced on Thursday and the news that it had been delayed broke on Thursday, more than 70 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.

“I know the far far right do not want the deal, but hopefully they can continue to work through this and get approval because this is the first real breakthrough of getting our hostages home — American hostages — getting all hostages home,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) cautiously celebrated the news that a deal had been reached.

“It is a tragedy that it has taken this long to secure a deal whose parameters have been well known for months, but I am relieved that innocent hostages will be returned to their families and the suffering of millions of Palestinians can end as they start rebuilding their lives,” Murphy said. “This is the first tentative step towards peace, but there is still a long road ahead.”

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in October 2023, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Around 1,200 people died during the October 7th attack in Israel, and the Israeli military said more than 400 soldiers had been killed during the invasion of Gaza.

Molly is a reporter covering Connecticut. She also produces Long Story Short, a podcast exploring public policy issues across Connecticut.