The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday, said the Israeli cabinet will meet to give final approval to a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release of hostages.
In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes kept up intense strikes, and Palestinian authorities said late on Thursday that at least 86 people were killed in the day after the truce was unveiled.
Israel delayed meetings expected on Thursday when the cabinet was expected to vote on the pact, blaming Hamas for the hold-up.
However, in the early hours of Friday, Netanyahu’s office said approval was imminent.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed by the negotiating team that agreements have been reached on a deal to release the hostages,” his office said in a statement.
The statement further said that the security cabinet would meet on Friday before a full meeting of the cabinet later to approve the deal.
According to the U.S White House spokesperson, John Kirby, Washington believed the agreement was on track and a ceasefire in the 15-month-old conflict was expected to proceed as soon as late this weekend.
“We are seeing nothing that would tell us that this is going to get derailed at this point,” he said.
In a statement late Thursday, a group representing families of Israeli hostages in Gaza, 33 of whom are due to be freed in the first six-week phase of the accord, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward quickly.
“For the 98 hostages, each night is another night of terrible nightmare. Do not delay their return even for one more night,” the group said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, earlier on Thursday said a loose end in the negotiations needed to be resolved.