Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office says first hostages expected to be released on January 19
The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is expected to begin as originally scheduled on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister's office said, after hours of uncertainty over the timing of final cabinet approval of the deal. Mr. Netanyahu said he had instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and that their families were informed the deal had been reached. Israel had delayed a vote Thursday on the ceasefire, blaming a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up approval as rising tensions in Netanyahu’s government coalition raised concerns about the implementation of the deal just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete. In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Hamas’ new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.
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