Thursday 16 / January / 2025
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of backtracking on details of the ceasefire agreement and said his Cabinet would not sign off on the deal yet.
According to the prime minister's office, the "last-minute crisis" was holding up the ceasefire's approval.
"Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last minute concessions," read a statement from Netanyahu. "The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement."
In response to accusations that Hamas is stalling the deal, senior official Izzat al-Rishq said the group "is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators."
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had said Hamas was trying to hold up the deal in order to secure last-minute concessions.
The ceasefire agreement and the fragility surrounding it has brought mixed emotions to the streets among Israelis and Palestinians.
Some Israelis said the situation was simply nerve-racking. Walking along Ben Yehuda Street in West Jerusalem, Zimratiya Hazani told DW correspondent Tania Krämer that it might be best to "avoid the news for a few days" while the situation remains uncertain.
"I think everyone walking around has mixed feelings about it," she said. "I feel there is not one answer." She said that she believed Hamas would continue to be a threat. "They might just do October 7 again, no one can guarantee otherwise. But, of course, we want the hostages back, all of them, as soon as possible."
