Gaza: The much-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which also calls for release of hostages, was officially signed by negotiators in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday. This comes hours after the Israeli Prime Minister said that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israel’s approval of the agreement.
The Israeli PM further has also announced that he would convene his security cabinet later in the day. Following that, the government would approve the ceasefire deal. The signing of the deal will pause the war in Gaza and ensure release of dozens of Israeli hostages.
“The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages — both the living and the dead,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, the Times of Israel reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been updated by the negotiating team that agreements have been reached on a deal for the release of the hostages.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 17, 2025
According to reports, Netanyahu had also instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza. The task force has also been asked to inform the families of the hostages that the deal had been reached. On Thursday, amid the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, the Israeli airstrikes killed at least 72 people in war-torn Gaza, reports claimed.
Earlier on Thursday, Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, had threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire agreement.
