Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says a “hostage release deal” has been agreed.
Netanyahu postponed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza cease-fire agreement, which had been scheduled for Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the deal.
On Friday morning, his office said that Netanyahu had been informed by the negotiating team that a deal had been agreed upon.
He ordered the political-security cabinet to meet later on Friday, and the government “will then meet to approve the deal,” Netanyahu’s office said. The families of the hostages have been informed, it added.
Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the United States and Qatar officially signed the agreement in Doha, according to Israeli media.
The ceasefire agreement was first announced on Wednesday by mediators the US and Qatar.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the deal would come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli government approval.
At the time, Netanyahu said the final details of the deal were still being worked out, but thanked Biden for “pushing it forward.”
Netanyahu then delayed a cabinet vote to approve the deal on Thursday, accusing Hamas of trying to “force last-minute concessions.”
Hamas has said it is committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it has been trying to add some of its members to a list of Palestinian prisoners who would be freed under the deal.
Although Israeli negotiators agreed to the deal, which followed months of negotiations, it cannot be implemented until it is approved by the security cabinet and the government.
