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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a meeting of Israel\u2019s political security cabinet on Friday to approve the Gaza cease-fire deal after Israeli and Hamas negotiators worked out their remaining differences.<\/p>\n
Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s office said in a statement early Friday that he had ordered the meeting to approve the deal for later in the day.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers would later \u201cconvene to approve the deal,\u201d the statement said, without specifying the day.<\/p>\n
A security cabinet vote that had been expected on Thursday was delayed amid last-minute disputes<\/a> with Hamas and rifts over the agreement that emerged inside Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s governing coalition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The prime minister\u2019s office said that the families of hostages had been informed of the agreement and that he had instructed the government authority responsible for the hostages to prepare to receive the captives upon their return to Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cThe state of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages \u2014 both the living and the dead,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A vocal member of Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s governing coalition took a stand against a cease-fire deal late on Thursday. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel\u2019s hard-line national security minister, threatened to resign and remove his party from the Israeli government if the cabinet voted to approve the provisional cease-fire deal.<\/p>\n \u201cThis deal would effectively erase the achievements of the war,\u201d said Mr. Ben-Gvir, adding that the cease-fire would leave Hamas in power in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While Mr. Ben-Gvir\u2019s threat could destabilize Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s coalition at a critical time, it was unlikely to scuttle the cease-fire deal, which would also free hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Mr. Netanyahu would still command a majority of 62 seats in the 120-member Parliament.<\/p>\n Opposition lawmakers have pledged to support Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s push for a cease-fire if more hard-line allies leave the coalition. \u201cThis is more important than all the differences of opinion that there have ever been between us,\u201d said Yair Lapid, the leader of the parliamentary opposition.<\/p>\n Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s announcement suggests that a cease-fire could still come into effect by this weekend. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had said on Thursday that he was confident the agreement would go into effect as planned on Sunday.<\/p>\n President Biden and other mediators announced on Wednesday that Israeli and Hamas negotiators in Qatar had reached a deal to stop the fighting and free hostages held in Gaza. The difficulties on Thursday underscored the volatility of the truce and prompted fears of further delays.<\/p>\n President-elect Donald J. Trump, who had pressured the parties to reach an agreement before his inauguration on Monday, repeated his warning in a podcast interview on Thursday that he wanted the deal closed before he took office<\/a>. He told the host, Dan Bongino, that \u201cit better be done.\u201d In December, weeks after he was re-elected, Mr. Trump said there would be \u201chell to pay\u201d if a cease-fire and hostage deal was not reached.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Deadly strikes in Gaza have continued<\/a>, despite the announcement of a cease-fire deal.<\/p>\n Gaza\u2019s health ministry said<\/a> on Thursday morning that at least eight Israeli attacks in the territory had killed 81 people and injured nearly 200 others over the previous 24 hours.<\/p>\n