Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel delayed

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has stalled due to a key cabinet vote by the Netanyahu government being postponed. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the multi-stage agreement late Wednesday local time.

However, less than a day later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that the cabinet vote to formally approve the deal, which had been scheduled for Thursday afternoon, had been postponed. Mr. Netanyahu accused Hamas of reneging on its commitments to the deal, while Hamas officials insisted they supported the agreement. Israeli media subsequently reported that the cabinet would convene on Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that mediators were "working through" any outstanding issues on Thursday. Several Israeli news outlets reported that divisions within the Netanyahu government may be one reason for the delay. The agreement was negotiated in Doha in recent days by Israeli and Hamas officials, with Qatar, Egypt, and the United States acting as mediators. Representatives of both the current Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration attended the meetings.

The first phase of the agreement, which is slated to last 42 days, is expected to begin on Sunday. This phase would see the release of 33 Israeli hostages and approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, and the Israeli military would establish an 800-meter buffer zone in Gaza. During these six weeks, negotiations would begin for a second phase that would release all remaining hostages and further prisoner releases. U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the third and final phase of the agreement would begin a large-scale reconstruction of Gaza and permanently end the war. Mr. Biden indicated that the agreement was proposed by his administration but would be maintained and implemented by Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday.

The current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting another 251, according to Israeli tallies. It is believed that approximately 100 hostages remain in Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, the subsequent Israeli ground offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 46,000 Palestinians. Since the agreement was announced on Wednesday, the Israeli military has stated that it has struck approximately 50 targets in Gaza. A spokesman for the Hamas armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, stated that one of the strikes hit a location where a hostage was being held. The spokesman did not disclose the fate of the hostage.