Netanyahu’s office says deal reached to free hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says an “agreement has been reached to release the hostages.”

Netanyahu had delayed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, scheduled for Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement.

On Friday morning, his office said the negotiating team had informed Netanyahu that agreements had been reached on the deal.

He has ordered the political and security cabinet to meet later on Friday and the government “will then meet to approve the deal,” Netanyahu’s office said. The families of the hostages have been informed, he added.

Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the United States and Qatar officially signed the agreement in Doha, Israeli media report.

The ceasefire agreement was first announced Wednesday by mediators the United States and Qatar.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into force on Sunday, pending approval by the Israeli cabinet.

At the time, Netanyahu said the final details of the deal were still being worked out, but thanked Biden for “promoting it.”

Netanyahu then delayed a cabinet vote to approve the deal on Thursday, accusing Hamas of trying to “extort last-minute concessions.”

Hamas said it was committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it was trying to add some of its members to the list of Palestinian prisoners who would be released under the deal.

Although Israeli negotiators accepted the agreement, which after months of talks, cannot be implemented until it is approved by the security cabinet and the government.