The Gaza Strip ceasefire should begin on Sunday as planned, despite the need for negotiators to tie up a "loose end" at the last minute, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

Netanyahu's "fear of Trump is greater than his fear of his extreme right-wing coalition partners," Israeli expert told Newsweek.

Keith Seigel, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander — are among the hostages set to be released from Hamas captivity.

Netanyahu's office said Thursday his Cabinet won't meet to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas backs down from what it called a "last minute crisis."

Qatar says it is hopeful that a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal could be agreed "very soon", with negotiators from Israel and Hamas beginning a "final stage" of indirect talks in Doha.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backing out of a cease-fire deal to release hostages and end the war in Gaza, which has raged for more than a year.

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip whilst Israel insists details are still being finalised

DOHA, January 18. /TASS/. A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will come into force at 8:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT) on January 19, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said.

US officials confirmed that a ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Hamas that would pause the war in Gaza and release dozens of hostages

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the deal, which includes the release of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, would go into effect on Sunday.

Israeli strikes on Gaza continued as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched senior negotiators to Qatar for ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks attended by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden's outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.