The White House is aware of eleventh-hour issues with the Hamas-Israel hostage agreement but remains confident that the ceasefire can still be implemented on Sunday, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview on Thursday.

“We’re aware of these issues that the prime minister has raised today, this afternoon, their time, and we’re working through that,” the Biden administration official said of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s announcement that Hamas reneged on parts of the deal.

Said Kirby, “Our team on the ground is actually working with him and his team to iron all this out and flatten it and get it moving forward.

“Obviously, this has got to get approved by the Israeli government, and Prime Minister Netanyahu knows that,” said Kirby, adding that the premier was “working through that process as well, but we’re confident that we’ll be able to solve these last-minute issues and get it moving, and that this ceasefire can take place starting on Sunday.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem accused the Palestinian terrorist organization of backtracking on parts of the deal signed on Wednesday, “in an effort to extort last-minute concessions.

“The Israeli Cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” the PMO said.

Government spokesman David Mencer told reporters on Thursday afternoon that hostage families were informed that Hamas “added further demands that contradict the agreement with the mediators.

“As of this time, the details of the agreement have not yet been finalized, and the negotiation team is continuing its efforts to reach a solution,” said Mencer in his remarks. “The Israeli negotiating team is still in Doha, as befits Israel’s willingness to finalize the hostage release agreement.”

He added, “To be clear, the government wants to finalize an agreement, and we hope that the details will be finalized. If this agreement to release our hostages is finalized, it will demonstrate Israel’s strength, Israel’s humanity and Israel’s unwavering commitment to its citizens.”

Hamas Political Bureau member Ezzat al-Rishq was quoted by Israel’s Channel 12 News, responding to the statement from the PMO: “Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators.”

Thirty-three hostages, living and dead, out of the 98 held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza are set to be freed during the first phase of the deal, in exchange for 1,000 Gazan terrorists held by Israel.

(The 33 freed captives are to include nine ill and wounded hostages who will be released in exchange for the release of 110 Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences.)

Israeli forces are to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt. The withdrawal is to begin on the 42nd day of the first phase, after the release of the final (33rd) hostage for the phase, and is to be completed by the 50th day. JNS

{Matzav.com}