The Israeli cabinet will meet to give approval to a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

The ceasefire deal was signed off by Israel’s government on Saturday morning - but attacks have continued on the Gaza Strip

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."

Barely an hour before the ceasefire was due to begin at 8.30am local time, Mr Netanyahu said he had instructed the military that the ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed, which Hamas committed to provide”.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

The Israeli military says it “continues to attack” inside the Gaza Strip as a dispute with Hamas delayed the start of a planned ceasefire

Israel will not proceed with the ceasefire deal until Hamas provides a list of hostages to be released, Netanyahu said. IDF is prepared for the hostages' release and has set up complexes near the Gaza border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday his Cabinet won’t meet to approve the agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages until Hamas backs down from what it called a “last minute crisis.

Israeli PM Netanyahu said Hamas had not lived up to its commitment to provide the names of the three hostages it was set to release later on Sunday in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas it set to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said. It will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week. View on euronews