Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal Reached: PM Netanyahu Confirms Agreement for Gaza Releases

Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal Reached: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that a deal to release hostages held in Gaza has been finalised.

The agreement, delayed due to last-minute disputes, will be presented to Israel’s security Cabinet and government for approval.

This development follows 15 months of intense conflict between Israel and Hamas.

It also includes a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Netanyahu stated that Israel remains committed to its war objectives, including the safe return of all hostages, both living and deceased.

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"The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages -- both the living and the dead," Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, as per the Times of Israel.

Netanyahu’s office had accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Hamas’ new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.

Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”

The ceasefire agreement has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, which the Israeli prime minister depends on to remain in power. On Thursday, Israel’s hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire.

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There was no immediate comment from Ben-Gvir following Netanyahu’s announcement Friday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan “without any delay” in an exclusive interview Thursday with The Associated Press. Egypt has been a key mediator between the enemies for years and a leading player in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

The deal announced Wednesday would pause the fighting with a view to eventually winding down a 15-month war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

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