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A “last minute crisis” has prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay a Cabinet vote to approve a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.
The Israeli PM accused the terror group of backing out of part of the agreement in an effort “to extort last minute concessions.”
“Hamasisrenegingontheunderstandingsandcreatingalast-minutecrisisthatispreventinganagreement,”thePrimeMinister’sOfficesaidinastatement.
“TheIsraelicabinetwillnotconveneuntilthemediatorsnotifyIsraelthatHamashasacceptedallelementsoftheagreement.”
OvernightthePMOsaidthepurporteddisputewasrelatedtotheidentityofPalestiniansecurityprisonersslatedforrelease.ItsaidHamaswas“demandingtodictatetheidentityofthesemurderers,”contradictingagreed-uponterms.
Aleakedversionofthedealsaidprisonerswouldbereleased“basedonlistsagreeduponbybothsides.”
Lastnight,theprimeministerofQataraswellasbothUSPresidentJoeBidenandUSPresident-electDonaldTrumpannouncedthatadealhadbeenreached,butPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahuhascontinuedtoinsistthatthef