There was the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu pending ratification by Gaza ceasefire agreement in parliament on Thursday, but his office said Hamas had “reneged” on parts of the deal, causing a “last-minute crisis”.
It added that the cabinet would not meet until Hamas accepted “all elements of the agreement.”
A senior Hamas official told the BBC that his movement was committed to the deal announced by the mediators, and that the head of its delegation, Khalil al-Hayya, had formally informed Qatar and Egypt of his approval of all terms of the deal.
Two hard-right ministers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have long threatened to quit the government coalition if the ceasefire continues.
That could trigger new elections in Israel, but their resignation would not block a deal if Netanyahu wants it to happen, observers say.
Qatar’s prime minister, who has been mediating the talks, called for “calm” on both sides ahead of the start of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement.
This will lead to the exchange of 33 hostages – including women, children and the elderly – for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Israeli forces will also withdraw to the east, away from densely populated areas of Gaza.
Displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks will finally enter the territory each day.
