Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backing out of a cease-fire deal to release hostages and bring a pause to more than a year of fighting.
Netanyahu’s office said his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the Gaza cease-fire deal until Hamas backs down from what it called a “last minute crisis.”
Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas, without elaborating, of trying to go back on part of the agreement in an attempt “to extort last minute concessions.”
The Israeli Cabinet was set to ratify the deal.
President Biden joined Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a news conference announcing that the deal would roll out in three phases.
Biden said the first phase will last six weeks and “includes a full and complete cease-fire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, elderly, and the wounded. And I’m proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release and phase one as well. And the vice president and I cannot wait to welcome them home.”
In exchange, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and Palestinians “can also return to their neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, and a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin.”
