Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office has announced that representatives from Israel and Hamas have finalized an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages during negotiations held in Doha.

According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu has scheduled a security cabinet meeting for Friday to conduct a vote on the agreement. However, the broader cabinet discussion will not occur until Motzoei Shabbos. A spokesperson for Netanyahu clarified that opponents of the arrangement are entitled to a 24-hour window to file petitions with the High Court of Justice. Holding the full cabinet meeting earlier, such as on Friday afternoon, would prevent shomrei Shabbos members from having sufficient time to submit their petitions.

While the security cabinet awaits the return of Israel’s negotiating team from Doha to proceed with the meeting, it remains unclear why both the security and full cabinet meetings could not be scheduled before Shabbos begins on Friday evening.

Delaying the full cabinet meeting until Motzoei Shabbos extends the petition period to late Sunday. Consequently, the deal’s implementation will be postponed until Monday, a day later than originally planned. This delay means that the first three hostages, initially set for release on Sunday, will remain captive for an additional day.

Netanyahu was informed of the finalized agreement during a call from the Israeli negotiating team moments ago. He expressed gratitude to the team for their dedicated work.

Families of the 98 remaining hostages have also been briefed about the development. The statement from Netanyahu’s office noted that he has directed the relevant authorities to coordinate efforts for the reception of the hostages who will soon be released as part of the agreement.

“The State of Israel is committed to achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages — both the living and the dead,” the statement emphasized.

{Matzav.com Israel}