Israel-Hamas ceasefire live updates:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of backtracking on some details of the Gaza ceasefire deal, blocking its approval by the Israeli government.
Netanyahu’s statement came a day after US President Joe Biden and Qatar’s PM announced the deal that will halt the devastating 15-month-long war in Gaza and pave the way for the release of dozens of hostages. Earlier, the Qatari Prime Minister confirmed that the ceasefire in Gaza will begin on Sunday and 33 Israeli hostages will be released in the first phase of the ceasefire, AFP reported.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have tried to mediate an end to the war that began with Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023 last year. During months of talks, both sides had previously said they were close to a ceasefire but faced last-minute hurdles. The war on Gaza erupted after Hamas launched its deadliest attack on Israel to date on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count. Hamas also took 251 Israelis hostage during the attack, 94 of whom are still held hostage in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are dead.
In response, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed 46,707 people, most of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The fighting has left much of Gaza in ruins and displaced 2.3 million of the territory’s pre-war population.
