Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has paved the way for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas pending his cabinet's approval.
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released on Sunday pending the agreement of his cabinet to a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The return of the hostages would signal the start of a three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and the militant group, ending 15 months of war that has seen scores killed and devastated the Gaza Strip.
“Subject to the approval of the cabinet and the government, and the implementation of the agreement, the release of the hostages can proceed according to the planned framework, with the hostages expected to be released as early as Sunday,” the leader's office said.
Should the deal go ahead, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians would also be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza.
Netanyahu has faced opposition from hard-line members of his cabinet in getting the deal across the finish line. On Thursday, his national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire.
There was no immediate comment from Ben-Gvir following Netanyahu's latest announcement.
Netanyahu said he had instructed a special taskforce to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza and that their families were informed the deal had been reached.
Israel had delayed a vote on the ceasefire on Thursday, blaming a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up approval. Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions.
In a briefing on Thursday, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hamas' new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.
Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group "is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators."
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan "without any delay" in an exclusive interview Thursday with The Associated Press.
Hamas triggered the war with its 7 October 2023 cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
The military campaign has levelled vast swathes of Gaza and forced around 90% of the Strip’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.