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Netanyahu accuses Hamas of withdrawing from parts of ceasefire agreement

Netanyahu accuses Hamas of withdrawing from parts of ceasefire agreement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas on Monday of backing away from parts of a Gaza ceasefire deal and said his cabinet would not meet to give the necessary approval until the militant group accepts all elements of the agreement.

In a statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said Hamas was trying to "secure last-minute concessions."

Hamas has been declared a terrorist group by the United States, Great Britain and other Western countries.

The multi-phase ceasefire, announced on Wednesday after months of negotiations, will come into effect on Sunday if the agreement is fully approved.

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 72 people since the deal was announced, according to Gaza health authorities. Palestinians there reported heavy overnight attacks as residents celebrated the agreement.

UN agencies said they were ready to send humanitarian aid to the region. According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents have been displaced and 92 percent of their homes have been destroyed.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog offered his strong support for the ceasefire after the agreement was announced on Wednesday.

But one of the main opponents of the deal in the government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, called it "a bad and dangerous agreement for the national security of the state of Israel."/ REL

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