Israeli govt to approve Gaza truce deal on Thursday

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Security Cabinet and government are scheduled to convene on Thursday to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement after the deal was reached between Hamas and Israel on Wednesday.

The Security Cabinet will convene at 11:00 am local time (0900 GMT) with the government expected to be gathered afterward, an Israeli government official said.

The deal is expected to have a majority in both the Security Cabinet and the government, despite two key parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government have voiced opposition to the agreement.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday urged the government to approve the ceasefire deal.

"It is the right, important, and necessary move," Herzog said in a broadcast statement.