Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a meeting of the Israeli political security cabinet on Friday to approve a ceasefire agreement in Gaza after Israeli and Hamas negotiators settled their remaining differences.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement early Friday that he had ordered a meeting to approve the deal later in the day.
The statement said that lawmakers “will meet later to approve the deal,” without specifying the day.
A security cabinet vote that was expected on Thursday was postponed amid last-minute disagreements with Hamas and disagreements over the agreement that emerged within the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that the hostages’ families had been informed of the agreement, and that it had instructed the government authority responsible for the hostages to prepare to receive the prisoners upon their return to Israel.
“The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages – living and dead,” the statement said.
A prominent member of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition took a stance against the ceasefire agreement late Thursday. Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s hardline National Security Minister, threatened to resign and remove his party from the Israeli government if the Cabinet votes to approve the temporary ceasefire agreement.
“This deal would effectively erase the achievements of the war,” Mr. Ben Gvir said, adding that a ceasefire would leave Hamas in power in Gaza.
While Mr. Ben Gvir’s threat could destabilize Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition at a critical time, it is unlikely to thwart a ceasefire agreement, which would also free hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Netanyahu will still have a majority of 62 seats in the 120-member parliament.
Opposition lawmakers pledged to support Netanyahu’s ceasefire efforts if more hardline allies withdraw from the coalition. “This is more important than all the differences of opinion we have ever had,” said Yair Lapid, parliamentary opposition leader.
Mr. Netanyahu’s announcement indicates that the ceasefire could go into effect by the end of this week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he was confident that the agreement would go into effect as planned on Sunday.
President Biden and other mediators announced Wednesday that Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Qatar have reached an agreement to stop fighting and release hostages held in Gaza. Thursday’s difficulties highlighted the volatility of the truce and raised fears of further delay.
President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has pressed the parties to reach an agreement before his inauguration on Monday, repeated his warning in an interview Thursday that he wants to close the deal. Before taking office. “It’s better to do it,” he told host Dan Bongino. In December, weeks after his re-election, Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if a ceasefire and hostage agreement was not reached.
Deadly strikes continued in Gaza, despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement.
Ministry of Health in Gaza He said On Thursday morning, at least eight Israeli attacks in the area killed 81 people and injured nearly 200 over the past 24 hours.
The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency services organization, said Israeli raids have killed at least 77 people since the deal was announced. These allegations could not be independently verified.
The Israeli army said on Thursday that it bombed about 50 targets across the Gaza Strip during the past day. The targets included Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists, their compounds, weapons storage and manufacturing sites, and launch and surveillance sites, the army said in a statement, adding that “many steps” had been taken to prevent harm to civilians before the strikes.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Palestinian Rescue and Emergency Service, said, “The reality in the Gaza Strip is still very difficult and catastrophic.”
President Biden, in his final television interview in office broadcast on MSNBC Thursday evening, defended his choice to steadfastly support Israel throughout the conflict, after he and his advisers struggled over many months of intense diplomatic efforts to finalize a ceasefire agreement.
Critics of the Israeli prime minister, including some of the hostage families who pushed for a ceasefire agreement, accused the prime minister of deliberately stalling negotiations to prolong the conflict.
Biden did not answer directly when MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell asked if he thought Netanyahu did it. He said Mr. Netanyahu was subject to political pressure from the Israeli right, and was sometimes forced to “do some things that I thought were counterproductive.”
Zach Montagu Contributed to reports.