Tel Aviv, 17 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that negotiating teams for the Israeli government and for Palestinian militant organization Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip, which includes the release of hostages.

"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," the premier's office said in a post on X early on Friday.

Netanyahu had not previously confirmed the agreement, announced by mediator Qatar on Wednesday, saying that some details remained unresolved.

The prime minister has convened a security Cabinet meeting on Friday to hold a vote on the agreement, his office continued.

"The Prime Minister has also directed the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing to coordinate the preparations to receive the hostages upon their return to Israel. The State of Israel is committed to achieving all of the objectives of the war including the return of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased."

The Times of Israel cited a spokesperson for Netanyahu as saying that a full Cabinet meeting would not take place until late on Saturday to allow time for opponents of the agreement to petition the courts. The deal would then need to be approved by the entire government.

These timings would mean that the agreement would not come into force before Monday, the Times reported. Consequently, three hostages due to be released on Sunday would have to wait a day longer.

The agreement was initially set to take effect on Sunday at 1015 GMT.

The deal, reached after months of indirect negotiations, involves a multi-stage process aimed at ending the fighting in the Gaza Strip and securing the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

While the deal's approval by the security Cabinet and the government is considered assured, Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to leave Netanyahu's coalition government if it agrees to it.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, could also oppose the ceasefire agreement.

If Ben-Gvir and possibly Smotrich were to exit the coalition, Netanyahu would lose his government majority in parliament.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid had already announced that he would be willing to provide Netanyahu with a "safety net" in parliament for a hostage deal in such a case.

Photo: EPA