Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said yesterday that his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the Gaza cease-fire deal until Hamas backs down from a “last-minute crisis.”
“Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” the statement added.
The Israeli Cabinet was set to meet yesterday to approve a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas in Gaza, brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt.
Following the Israeli announcement, senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq denied the accusation that his group had reneged on some details of the deal, and said it was committed to respecting the agreement.
The dispute involves the identities of several prisoners for whom Hamas is demanding a release.
This was the information available as at 20h30 on Thursday 16 January 2025.