Netanyahu confirmed the signing of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, which may be approved on Saturday.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the negotiation teams from Israel and Hamas in Doha have signed an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, the first hostages may be freed a day later.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing The Times of Israel.

In a statement, Netanyahu's office noted that the Prime Minister has convened a Cabinet meeting on security matters for Friday, January 17, to vote on the agreement.

However, a representative of Netanyahu mentioned that the full government meeting will only take place on the evening of Saturday, January 18. This is because opponents of the agreement should have 24 hours to file a petition with the Supreme Court, and a meeting on Friday afternoon would not give them enough time, as many of them are observant and observe the Sabbath.

"While the security cabinet awaits the return of the Israeli negotiation team from Doha for a meeting, it is unclear why both the security cabinet and the full government cannot be convened until after sunset on Friday," the statement notes.

According to the publication, holding a full government meeting on Saturday means that the 24-hour grace period for appeals will not conclude until late Sunday. This, in turn, means that the agreement will not take effect until Monday—one day later than originally planned. Thus, the first three hostages, who were supposed to be released on Sunday, will have to wait another day.

The Israeli negotiation team has already called Netanyahu to inform him of the achieved agreement, and the Prime Minister thanked them for their efforts.

According to a statement from the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister, the families of the remaining 98 hostages have also received new information stating that the Prime Minister has instructed the authorities to work together to prepare for the reception of the hostages who will be released under the agreement.

"The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the war's objectives, including the return of all our hostages—both alive and deceased," adds Netanyahu's office.

Peace Agreement Between Israel and Hamas

Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages have been ongoing since May 2024. They were based on a three-point proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden. The mediators for the negotiations were Qatar and Egypt.

Over the past year, the negotiations have progressed slowly and with little result.

On January 15, it became known that the parties had reached an agreement. According to it, the Palestinian group committed to releasing Israeli hostages. In the first phase, the release of 33 individuals is planned out of a total of 94 hostages.

However, on January 16, Israel postponed the vote on the agreement and accused Hamas of not adhering to some of the document's terms.

To find out whether there is a risk of the agreements being disrupted regarding the Gaza Strip, read the commentary by RBK-Ukraine's Israeli military analyst David Sharp.