NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A hostage and ceasefire deal has officially -- and finally -- been signed by officials from Israel, Hamas, the U.S. and Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Friday morning.
"The families of the hostages were informed a short while ago of the agreements by the Directorate for Hostages, Missing Persons, and Returnees in the Prime Minister’s Office," Netanyahu's office said in a statement of the hostages, who were kidnapped by Hamas during it's Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. More than 1,200 people were killed and 250 people kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the attack.
"Additionally, the Prime Minister instructed the Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons to coordinate preparations for the reception of the hostages upon their return to Israel."
The Israeli cabinet is set to vote on the measure on Saturday, which would delay the release of the first hostages until Monday, not Sunday, as originally planned.
Netanyahu said a last-minute dispute with Hamas was responsible for the delay.
Under the deal, which was announced Wednesday, 33 of the approximately 100 remaining hostages -- alive and dead -- are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Israeli forces will pull back from many areas in Gaza, as well.