Ceasefire Deal Reached; Israel Claims Hamas Is Backing Out Of Deal
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GAZA — Israel and Hamas are in agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage deal.
The news was announced by Qatar on Wednesday. It comes as the two sides have been fighting for 15 months in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel in October of 2023.
The deal is set to go into effect on Sunday and includes Hamas releasing dozens of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Delegations from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar worked to secure the end to the fighting. President-elect Trump had repeatedly warned that “all hell will break out” if a deal wasn’t reached before he took office.
However, by Thursday morning Israeli Prime Minister’s Office claimed Hamas is backing out of some of its agreements in the hostage release deal.
Today, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a statement claiming that “Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.”
The statement said, “The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”