GUWAHATI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday, January 17, that an agreement to secure the release of hostages had been reached. The Prime Minister had reportedly instructed the political-security cabinet to convene later in the day to discuss and approve the arrangement.
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The deal, if ratified, is to commence on Sunday reportedly involving the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, paving the way for discussions to finalise the terms of a permanent end to the conflict.
The announcement followed accusations from Netanyahu’s office on Thursday, alleging that Hamas had reneged on crucial aspects of the agreement to extort last-minute concessions. Hamas denied these allegations. Despite the tensions, Netanyahu’s office stated that the families of the hostages had been informed, and preparations were underway to receive them upon their return.
The agreement has been met with heightened scrutiny, particularly after delays on Thursday in voting on the ceasefire. Israel accused Hamas of introducing a last-minute dispute, leading to internal tensions within Netanyahu’s government coalition. This development cast doubt over the deal’s implementation, just a day after US President Joe Biden and Qatar, a key mediator, had declared the agreement complete.
