Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday that a ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete and the final details are being worked out.
Netanyahu's statement comes hours after the United States and Qatar announced the deal, which would pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of hostages to go home. The conflict has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Large crowds of joyful Palestinians took to the streets in Gaza when the agreement was announced, cheering and honking car horns.
“No one can feel the feeling that we are experiencing now, an indescribable, indescribable feeling,” said Mahmoud Wadi in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah before joining a chanting crowd.
The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.
Here's the latest:
Netanyahu claims Hamas backtracked on an earlier understanding about prisoner release in the ceasefire deal
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Thursday that Hamas has backtracked on an earlier understanding of the ceasefire agreement. His statement could indicate that obstacles remain to implementing the deal.
Under the three-phased deal, Hamas would release dozens of hostages in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. It would also allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.
Netanyahu said that Hamas was objecting to a part of the agreement that gave Israel the ability to veto the release of certain Palestinian prisoners. Hamas was trying to dictate which Palestinian prisoners would be released, Netanyahu said.
He said he told Israeli negotiators to stand firm on the earlier agreement. Hamas did not immediately respond to Netanyahu’s statement.
The statement came soon after President Joe Biden wrapped up a final farewell address to the nation after earlier touting the role of American diplomacy in negotiating the ceasefire.
Mediators will next head to Cairo for talks on implementing the ceasefire, US official says
WASHINGTON — Egyptian, Qatar and U.S. negotiators will head to Cairo on Thursday for further talks on implementing all aspects of the ceasefire deal, according to a senior U.S. official.
The official said the negotiators are focused on making sure expectations are clear to both Israel and Hamas, and that implementation of the agreement is carried out as smoothly as possible.
The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
By Aamer Madhani
Gaza’s second-largest militant group hails the ceasefire deal as ‘honorable’
CAIRO — Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza’s second-largest militant group after Hamas, hailed the cease-fire deal as “honorable.”
Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says a ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still being worked out. The deal would pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for hostages to go home. The conflict has sparked worldwide protests.
