Israel and Hamas have worked out differences that have delayed the ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu said

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a meeting of Israel’s political security cabinet on Friday to approve a Gaza ceasefire deal after Israeli negotiators and Hamas resolved their differences. rest.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Friday morning that he had ordered a meeting to approve the deal the following day.

Lawmakers will “meet to ratify the agreement” later, the statement said, without specifying a date.

A defense cabinet vote expected on Thursday was delayed amid a last-minute standoff with Hamas and a dispute over a deal that has emerged within the ruling coalition. Mr. Netanyahu.

The prime minister’s office said the families of the hostages had been informed of the deal and instructed government officials responsible for the hostages to prepare to receive the hostages upon their return to Israel.

“The state of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all hostages – both the living and the dead,” the statement said.

A vocal member of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition came out against the ceasefire agreement on Thursday. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s hard-line defense minister, has threatened to resign and remove his party from the Israeli government if the cabinet votes to approve a temporary ceasefire agreement.

“This agreement will completely erase the achievements of the war,” Mr. Ben-Gvir said, adding that the ceasefire would leave Hamas in power in Gaza.

While Mr Ben-Gvir’s threats could destabilize Mr Netanyahu’s coalition at a critical time, he is unlikely to overturn the ceasefire deal, which would free the hostages held by Hamas. and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Mr. Netanyahu will still command a majority of 62 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.

Opposition lawmakers have vowed to back Mr. Netanyahu’s push for a ceasefire as more hardline allies quit the coalition. “This is more important than all the differences between us,” said Yair Lapid, the leader of the parliamentary opposition.

Mr Netanyahu’s statement suggests a ceasefire could still be in place this weekend. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Thursday that he was confident the deal would go into effect as planned on Sunday.

President Biden and other negotiators announced Wednesday that Israeli negotiators and Hamas in Qatar have reached an agreement to end the fighting and free hostages held in Gaza. Thursday’s setbacks highlighted the disruption to the shutdown and raised fears of further delays.

President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has been pushing for a deal before his inauguration on Monday, reiterated his warning in a podcast interview on Thursday that he wants to close the deal before he takes office. He told the host, Dan Bongino, that he “better do it.” In December, a week after his re-election, Mr Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if a ceasefire and hostage deal were not reached.

Deadly strikes have continued in Gaza, despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement.

Gaza’s health ministry said on Thursday morning that at least eight Israeli attacks in the territory had killed 81 people and wounded nearly 200 in the previous 24 hours.

The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency group, said Israeli strikes had killed at least 77 people since the deal was announced. The claims could not be independently verified.

The Israeli army said on Thursday that it had hit about 50 targets across the Gaza Strip in the past day. Among the targets were militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, their compounds, weapons storage and production sites and launch and observation sites, the military said in a statement, adding that ” “several steps” were taken to prevent civilian casualties before the strike.

“The situation in the strip remains very difficult and dangerous,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority for Rescue and Relief.

President Biden, in his final televised interview in office that aired on MSNBC Thursday night, defended his choice to consistently support Israel during the conflict, after fighting and his adviser during months of diplomatic efforts to conclude a cease-fire agreement.

Critics of the Israeli prime minister, including some hostage families who have been pushing for a ceasefire deal, have accused him of deliberately stalling negotiations to mediate the conflict.

Mr. Biden did not answer directly when MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell asked if he thought Mr. Netanyahu did that. He said Mr. Netanyahu was under political pressure from Israel’s right wing, and was sometimes forced “to do some of the things that, in my opinion, I thought were counterproductive.”

Zach Montague contributed to the report.