The truce, brokered by Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, is set to commence on Sunday. It involves the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, followed by negotiations to finalize a permanent end to the conflict.
However, on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement to extract last-minute concessions. The Israeli cabinet, which has yet to approve the deal, will not convene until mediators confirm Hamas’s acceptance of all terms. An Israeli official later informed AFP that the cabinet would meet on Friday to decide on the agreement.
Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri denied Israel’s accusations, stating there was “no basis” for them. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been involved in the mediation efforts, expressed confidence that the ceasefire would proceed as planned. “I am confident, and I fully expect that implementation will begin, as we said, on Sunday,” he stated.
Egypt’s foreign ministry also emphasized that the ceasefire must “start without delay.” Despite the announcement, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 80 people and wounded hundreds since the deal was made public. The Israeli military confirmed hitting around 50 targets across Gaza, focusing on Palestinian militants.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, warned that the Israeli strikes were endangering the lives of hostages set to be released under the agreement, potentially turning their “freedom… into a tragedy.”
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians. During the attack, Palestinian fighters took 251 hostages, 94 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military believes are dead.
