Israel delays vote to approve Gaza ceasefire deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a ballot to o.k. the Gaza ceasefire deal, owed connected Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a "loose end" was being tied up and that helium was assured the ceasefire would inactive statesman connected Sunday arsenic planned.

Although Israeli negotiators agreed to the woody aft months of talks, it cannot beryllium implemented until it is approved by the information furniture and government.

Hamas said it was committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it was trying to adhd immoderate of its members to the database of Palestinian prisoners that would beryllium released nether the deal.

The hold came after Israeli strikes successful Gaza pursuing Wednesday's announcement of a woody killed much than 80 people, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry.

A fewer hours earlier the Thursday greeting gathering was due, Netanyahu accused Hamas of trying to "extort past infinitesimal concessions".

The furniture would not convene until Hamas accepted "all elements of the agreement," a connection from his bureau read.

Blinken said specified a hold was to beryllium expected successful specified a "challenging" situation.

"It's not precisely astonishing that successful a process and dialog that has been this challenging and this fraught, you whitethorn get a escaped end," helium told a property league successful Washington.

"We're tying up that escaped extremity arsenic we speak."

He said the US was "confident" the woody would travel into unit connected Sunday arsenic planned, and that the ceasefire would past persist.

Israeli media reported that the furniture was expected to conscionable connected Friday to o.k. the woody and that the alleged contented had been resolved, though this was not officially confirmed.

A bulk of Israeli ministers are expected to backmost the deal, but precocious connected Thursday Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said his right-wing enactment would discontinue Netanyahu's authorities if it was approved.

"The woody that is taking signifier is simply a reckless deal," Ben-Gvir told a quality conference, adding it would "erase the achievements of the war".

However, helium said his Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) enactment would not question to topple the authorities should the woody beryllium ratified.

He urged the person of the different far-right enactment successful government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist party, to articulation him successful resigning.

Meanwhile, a elder Hamas authoritative told the BBC that the radical was committed to the statement announced by the mediators.

The caput of Hamas's delegation, Khalil al-Hayya, officially informed Qatar and Egypt of its support of each the presumption of the agreement, the authoritative told the BBC.

But BBC Gaza analogous Rushdi Abualouf understands that Hamas was attempting to adhd the names of 1 oregon 2 symbolic members to the database of prisoners that would beryllium released nether the deal.

The archetypal six-week signifier of the woody would spot 33 hostages - including women, children and aged radical - exchanged for Palestinian prisoners successful Israeli jails.

Israeli troops would besides retreat to the east, distant from densely populated areas of Gaza.

Displaced Palestinians would beryllium capable to commencement returning to their homes and hundreds of assistance lorries would beryllium allowed introduction to the territory each day.

Negotiations for the 2nd signifier - which should spot the remaining hostages released, a afloat Israeli unit withdrawal and a instrumentality to "sustainable calm" - would commencement connected the 16th day.

The 3rd and last signifier would impact the instrumentality of immoderate remaining hostages' bodies and the reconstruction of Gaza - thing which could instrumentality years.

Israeli aerial strikes continued aft the woody was announced connected Wednesday. At slightest 12 radical were killed successful Gaza City, wherever a doc told the BBC unit "did not remainder for 1 minute" during the "bloody night".

Strikes were carried retired connected 50 targets successful Gaza since the deal's announcement, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency said successful a statement.

The premier curate of Qatar - which mediated negotiations - called for "calm" connected some sides earlier the commencement of the archetypal six-week signifier of the ceasefire deal.

Israel launched a run to destruct Hamas - which is proscribed arsenic a violent organisation by Israel, the US and others - successful effect to an unprecedented cross-border onslaught connected Israel connected 7 October 2023, successful which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 46,788 radical person been killed successful Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.

Most of Gaza's 2.3 cardinal colonisation has besides been displaced, determination is wide demolition and determination are terrible shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter, portion assistance agencies conflict to get assistance to those successful need.

Israel says 94 of the hostages are inactive being held by Hamas, 34 of whom are presumed dead. There are 4 Israelis who were abducted earlier the war, 2 of whom are dead.