Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will begin on Sunday, after last-minute snags threatened to delay the agreement.
Netanyahu said on Friday in Israel that the deal would go ahead. He was expected to convene Israel's security cabinet and government later in the day to approve the agreement.
Netanyahu said a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas had held up Israel's approval of the long-awaited ceasefire agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday equated the delay to "tying up a loose end."
The overarching deal to pause the 15-month war includes the release of hostages held by Hamas. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would be released in the first phase of the three-part deal.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires go into effect as a way to project strength.
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Gaza’s Health Ministry said the 48 bodies of people killed since midday Wednesday were brought to several hospitals. Around half of the dead were women and children, Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration department, told The Associated Press.
Under the deal reached Wednesday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.
