MIDDLE EAST

NPR  - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a vote on the peace deal between Hamas and Israel scheduled for today will be delayed. It's a blow to the hopes that an end to the fighting would take place Sunday. President Biden and Qatar's prime minister announced separately yesterday that Israel and Hamas reached a multiphase ceasefire agreement that commits them to end the war in Gaza. The past 15 months of conflict have killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza...

The agreement starts with a pause of airstrikes and a complex prisoner exchange. Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israel would be freed and crucially needed food, fuel and medical supplies would enter Gaza, NPR’s Aya Batrawy tells Up First. President-elect Donald Trump brought an incoming sense of urgency to complete the deal. The ceasefire agreement attempts to do a lot but leaves some questions, including: Who will govern Gaza from the Palestinian side? And how do you begin rebuilding? Ultimately, the deal doesn’t guarantee long-term security for either side because it doesn’t address a pathway to lasting peace and Palestinian statehood.

 The deal is welcome news for Palestinians, but while there is some cautious hope, some say it’s too little, too late, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi says. Airstrikes have continued even with the announcement of the deal. The sentiment in Israel is similar. They are waiting to see the deal implemented, and there has been frustration with the government for taking so long to get to this point. Netanyahu is in a tricky political position when it comes to approving the deal, as his government might collapse because some right-wing ministers are against the agreement.

The Guardian - Israel airstrikes killed at least 70 more people in Gaza overnight and during Thursday, Reuters reports residents and authorities in the territory said, hours after a prospective ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced to bring an end to 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas which has devastated the Gaza Strip and triggered a humanitarian crisis.

The deal is yet to be formally agreed, with Israel’s security cabinet delaying a planned Thursday morning meeting. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel 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.”