Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a ceasefire deal with Hamas has not yet been reached and that the final details of the deal are still being worked out. The announcement from his office comes after a number of mediators said Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages after a 15-month war.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said in a statement that there were still unresolved details and hoped that "their resolution would be completed tonight."
In Khan Younis, a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians joyfully welcomed the news of the ceasefire.
The agreement is expected to temporarily halt the fighting and offers hope for an end to one of the bloodiest conflicts between Israel and Hamas, which has destabilized the entire Middle East and sparked protests around the world.
Previously, officials close to the talks announced earlier on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, after a 15-month conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and shaken the Middle East.
The Israeli government will vote on the deal on Thursday, according to an Israeli government official.
The agreement, which has not yet been officially announced, envisages an initial six-week ceasefire phase and includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, an official told Reuters news agency.
The agreement comes after ongoing efforts to broker a deal by Egypt and Qatar, with the support of the United States.
The agreement was reached on the eve of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, which will be held on January 20.
Hamas told Reuters that its delegation had delivered to mediators the militant group's approval of the ceasefire agreement and the return of the hostages.
The agreement foresees the entry of 600 trucks with humanitarian aid into Gaza every day, 50 of which with fuel, while half of them will be sent to the northern part of Gaza.
Negotiations for the second phase of the deal are expected to begin before the 16th day of the first phase and are expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, as well as Israeli soldiers held hostage by Hamas. The negotiations will also address a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli soldiers. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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