Gaza hostage deal reached, confirms Israeli PM Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Friday that a deal has been reached to release hostages held in Gaza and to implement a ceasefire, following intense negotiations between Israeli and Hamas teams in Qatar, Israeli media reported.

The Times of Israel quoted a statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as saying the Israeli prime minister had convened a security cabinet meeting for Friday to hold a vote on the deal, with a full cabinet session to follow for official approval. Netanyahu was informed by the Israeli negotiating team that the deal had been successfully concluded, and he thanked them for their efforts.

The deal, which marks a significant step toward ending the 15-month-long conflict, will see the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the families of the remaining 98 hostages had been updated and preparations are underway for their return.

“The (full cabinet) will later convene to approve the deal,” Netanyahu’s office said in its statement, adding that Netanyahu had expressed his gratitude to the negotiating team, who had informed him about the deal’s completion.

Netanyahu’s office added: "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."

The agreement, announced by mediators on Wednesday -- Qatar, the US, and Egypt -- will lead to the phased release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and also see a pause in fighting in Gaza.

Despite the breakthrough, the approval process has faced some delays. Initially, Netanyahu’s office had signalled concerns over last-minute snags in the negotiations, accusing Hamas of reneging on parts of the deal.

Earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu’s office said the cabinet won’t meet to approve the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages until Hamas backs down, accusing the group of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. These issues had delayed the approval of the ceasefire and hostage exchange, but the deal was eventually finalised.

The release of the first group of hostages, initially scheduled for Sunday, is now expected to occur on Monday, following the delay in cabinet approval. The vote within the Israeli government is expected to be contentious, with reports suggesting that some members of Netanyahu’s coalition government may oppose the deal, potentially threatening to resign.