Netanyahu’s office says a deal to release the hostages has been agreed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says they have agreed to an “agreement to release the hostages”.

Netanyahu postponed a cabinet vote on endorsing the Gaza ceasefire deal until Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the deal.

On Friday morning, his office said the Netanyahu negotiating team had informed him that agreements had been reached on the deal.

He ordered the political security cabinet to meet later on Friday and the government “will then meet to approve the deal”, Netanyahu’s office said. The families of the hostages have been informed, he added.

Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the US and Qatar officially signed the agreement in Doha, Israeli media reported.

The ceasefire agreement was first announced on Wednesday by US and Qatari mediators.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the deal would enter into force on Sunday, pending approval by Israel’s cabinet.

At the time, Netanyahu said the final details of the deal were still being worked out, but thanked Biden for “promoting.”

Netanyahu then postponed a cabinet vote to approve the deal on Thursday, accusing Hamas of trying to “squeeze out last-minute concessions”.

Hamas said it was committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it was trying to add some of its members to the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the deal.

Although Israeli negotiators have agreed to a deal after months of talks, it cannot be implemented until it is approved by the security cabinet and government.