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TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel delayed a Cabinet vote Thursday on the long-awaited ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up the approval as rising tensions in Netanyahu's government coalition raised concerns about the implementation of the deal just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete.
That created a dual reality: War-weary Palestinians in Gaza, the relatives of hostages held in the enclave and world leaders all welcomed the result of months of painstaking diplomacy, even as Netanyahu postponed the Cabinet vote on the agreement that had been scheduled for Thursday until Friday, at the earliest.
Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions — without specifying which parts.
"Hamas is backing out of the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that prevents a settlement," Netanyahu's office said.
In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Hamas' new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.
Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group "is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators."
It wasn't clear to what extent the holdup in the approval of the deal — originally scheduled to go into effect Sunday — also reflected jockeying to keep Netanyahu's wobbly government together.
The ceasefire agreement has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, on whose support the Israeli prime minister depends to remain in power. On Thursday, Israel's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approves the ceasefire.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan "without any delay" in an exclusive interview Thursday with the Associated Press. Egypt has been a key mediator between the enemies for years and a leading player in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
'Reckless'
The deal announced Wednesday would see scores of hostages held in Gaza released and a pause in fighting with a view to eventually wind down a 15-month war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing fighting as Israel has targeted Hamas, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
The military campaign has leveled vast swaths of Gaza, and pushed about 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are struggling with hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast.
The Israeli prime minister faces great domestic pressure to bring home the hostages, whose families have pleaded with Netanyahu to prioritize the release of their loved ones over politics.
But Israeli divisions over the deal were on stark display Thursday, as Ben-Gvir, a key government coalition partner and Cabinet member, threatened to resign, saying the ceasefire was "reckless" and would "destroy all of Israel's achievements."
'Today is bloodier'
The departure of Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party would reduce the number of the ruling coalition's seats in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, from 68 to 62 — leaving Netanyahu's government with just the slimmest of majorities. Ben-Gvir said his party would return to the coalition if Israel resumes its war.
Ben-Gvir's resignation would not bring down the government or derail the ceasefire deal. But the move destabilizes the Israeli government at a delicate moment and could lead to the government's collapse if Ben-Gvir is joined by other key Netanyahu allies.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for instance, is vehemently opposed to the agreement and has demanded that Netanyahu promise to resume the war against Hamas after the first phase of the ceasefire as a condition of his party staying in the coalition.
Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.
"We were expecting that the (Israeli) occupation would intensify the bombing, like they did every time there were reports of progress in truce talks," said Mohammed Mahdi, who is sheltering in Gaza City.
Gaza's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced. It said the toll from Thursday's strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and the actual toll is likely higher.
"Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier," said Zaher al-Wahedi, a Health Ministry official.
'Enough with the destruction'
The Israeli military said it had struck approximately 50 militant targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launch sites.
Anxiety spread across Gaza on Thursday with the news of last-minute quarreling between Hamas and Israeli officials.
"We ask our brothers in Hamas to communicate with mediators to end the war," said Omar Jendiya, in Deir al-Balah. "Enough with the destruction and killing."
Under the deal reached Wednesday, 33 of some 100 hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces will pull back from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to what's left of their homes, and there would be a surge of humanitarian assistance.
Contributing: Melanie Lidman
