'Last minute crisis' with Hamas delaying Israel approval of truce deal, says Netanyahu
Netanyahu's office said that his Cabinet will not meet to approve the truce deal, to pause the war in Gaza and release hostages, until Hamas steps back
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that a "last minute crisis" with Hamas was delaying Tel Aviv's approval of the long-awaited ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu's office said that his Cabinet will not meet to approve the truce deal, to pause the war in Gaza and release hostages, until Hamas steps back. Israel has accused the militant group of pulling out of parts of the agreement in a bid to achieve further modifications, reports AP.
Izzat al-Rashq, a senior Hamas official, said that the outfit "is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators".
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Key mediator Qatar, along with US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday announced the truce deal, which is aimed at achieving the release of the hostages being held captive in Gaza and bringing a pause to the 15-month war in the Middle East region.
Earlier, Netanyahu's office had accused Hamas of backtracking on a previous understanding that it said would give Israel a veto over which murder convicts would be released from prisons in exchange for the hostages.
Hours after the ceasefire agreement was announced, the Israeli PM had said that the deal was not complete, adding that "final details" were still being worked out.
Qatar's prime minister also revealed that the ceasefire in Gaza will begin on Sunday, 19 January, and as many as 33 Israeli hostages will be released in the first phase of the truce.
Israeli forces will also pull out from many areas and scores of Palestinians will be able to go back to their homes, the agreement said. There would also be an increase in the humanitarian assistance provided to those affected by the war.
Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry said that Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 48 people over the past day.
Zaher-al-Wahedi, head of the ministry's registration department, told AP that the death toll could rise as hospital records are always updated.
Notably, the negotiators, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have spent the past year going back and forth to mediate an end to the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas' unprecedented attack on 7 October 2023.
