The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that the terrorist group Hamas has backed out of certain agreements at the last minute, hindering the achievement of a ceasefire deal.
"Hamas is violating agreements and creating a last-minute crisis that obstructs the agreement," the Prime Minister's statement, published in English and Hebrew, said. "The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators inform Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement."
Meanwhile, Hamas has stated that the movement remains committed to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by Reuters, citing a representative of the group, Izzat al-Rishq.
On January 15, it was announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The agreement includes a six-week ceasefire phase and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as well as the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.