Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered a meeting of Israel's political and security cabinet to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal after Israeli and Hamas negotiators iron out remaining differences.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement early Friday that he had instructed the meeting to approve the deal later in the day.
The statement said lawmakers would later “convene to approve the agreement,” but did not specify a date.
A security cabinet vote scheduled for Thursday was postponed due to a last-minute dispute with Hamas and rifts within Mr. Netanyahu's ruling coalition over the agreement.
The Prime Minister's Office said the families of the hostages had been informed of the agreement and that government authorities responsible for the hostages had been instructed to prepare to receive the prisoners once they returned to Israel.
“The State of Israel is committed to achieving all objectives of the war, including the return of all hostages, living and dead,” the statement said.
Prominent members of Mr. Netanyahu's coalition voiced opposition to the ceasefire agreement late Thursday. Israel's hardline Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to resign and remove his party from the Israeli government if the Cabinet votes to approve an interim ceasefire agreement.
“This agreement effectively erases the gains of the war,” Bengvir said, adding that the ceasefire would leave Hamas in power in Gaza.
Mr. Ben Gvir's threats could destabilize Mr. Netanyahu's coalition at a critical time, but are unlikely to break a cease-fire agreement that would also see the release of Israel's Hamas and Palestinian captive hostages. Netanyahu will still hold a majority of 62 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
Opposition lawmakers have pledged to support Prime Minister Netanyahu's push for a ceasefire if more hardline allies leave the coalition. “This is more important than all the disagreements that have existed between us,” said Yair Lapid, parliamentary opposition leader.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement suggests a ceasefire could come into effect by the end of this week. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Thursday he was confident the agreement would go into effect Sunday as scheduled.
President Biden and other mediators announced Wednesday that Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Qatar have reached an agreement to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip and release hostages. Thursday's difficulties highlighted the instability of the ceasefire agreement and raised fears of further delays.
President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has been pressuring the parties to reach a deal before taking office on Monday, repeated his warning in a podcast interview Thursday that he wants a deal done before he takes office. He told host Dan Bongino, “You should stop.” In December, weeks after his re-election, Trump said he would “pay like hell” if a ceasefire and hostage agreement were not reached.
Deadly attacks continue in Gaza despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement.
The Gaza Ministry of Health announced Thursday morning that at least eight Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours have left 81 people dead and nearly 200 injured in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency services organization, said at least 77 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes since the deal was announced. These claims could not be independently verified.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had attacked around 50 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day. The military said in a statement that targets included Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, their strongholds, weapons storage and manufacturing sites, and launch and observation sites, and that “a number of measures were taken” to prevent harm to civilians before the attack. It added that measures had been taken.
“The reality of the Strip remains extremely difficult and devastating,” said Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Rescue and Emergency Services.
In his final television interview in office, aired Thursday night on MSNBC, President Biden said he would continue to hold Israel out throughout the conflict, after he and his advisers struggled through months of intense diplomatic efforts to finalize a cease-fire agreement. He steadfastly defended his choice to help.
Critics of the Israeli prime minister, including some families of hostages who had called for a ceasefire, accuse him of deliberately delaying negotiations to prolong the conflict.
MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell asked if he thought Netanyahu had done so, but Biden did not respond directly. He said Netanyahu has been under political pressure from the Israeli right and has at times been forced to “do some of the things that, in my belief, are counterproductive.”
Zach Montague contributed reporting.
