Netanyahu’s office said the deal to release the hostages had been agreed upon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a “hostage release deal” had been agreed.

Netanyahu postponed a cabinet vote to approve a Gaza ceasefire deal that was due to take place on Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking to make last-minute changes to the accord.

His office said Friday morning that Netanyahu’s negotiating team had been informed that a deal had been agreed upon.

He ordered the political security cabinet to meet later on Friday and the government “will then meet to approve the deal,” Netanyahu’s office said. The families of the hostages have been informed, it added.

Representatives of Israel, Hamas, the United States and Qatar officially signed the agreement in Doha, according to Israeli media.

The ceasefire agreement was first announced on Wednesday by US and Qatari mediators.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into force on Sunday, pending approval by Israel’s cabinet.

At the time, Netanyahu said the final details of the deal were still being worked out, but he thanked Biden for “pushing it forward.”

Netanyahu then delayed a cabinet vote to approve the deal on Thursday, accusing Hamas of trying to “squeeze out last-minute concessions.”

Hamas has said it is committed to the deal, but the BBC understands it has tried to add some of its members to a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the deal.

Although Israeli negotiators agreed to the deal, which came after months of negotiations, it cannot be implemented until it is approved by the security cabinet and the government.