Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused "Hamas" of taking a step back on some details of the Gaza ceasefire deal, and warned that this was delaying its approval in the Israeli parliament, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"Hamas" is abandoning some parts of the agreement, concluded with the help of mediators and Israel, in an attempt to squeeze concessions and benefits at the last minute," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The Israeli cabinet will not be convened until the mediators notify Israel that "Hamas" accepts all elements of the deal," he added.
A little later, a senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Reshiq, said the Palestinian Islamist movement was committed to the agreement.
The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the deal today, the Associated Press notes.
US President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced yesterday the conclusion of the agreement, according to which 33 hostages held by Hamas should be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel should withdraw its forces from some parts of Gaza.
At least 48 people were killed yesterday in Israeli air strikes on the coastal Palestinian territory. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up hostilities in the final hours before a ceasefire agreement takes effect to show their strength, the AP notes.
The Gaza Health Ministry said the bodies of 48 people killed had been brought to several hospitals. About half of those killed were women and children, Zaher al-Wahedi told the AP.
He added that the death toll could rise as hospitals continue to update their figures.