Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached. The announcement early came a day after Netanyahu’s office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

Not long after news broke about a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas following a 15-month war in Gaza, Israel's prime minister said a deal has not been reached.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of “reneging” on parts of the deal, under which Israel would withdraw from some areas of Gaza and obtain the return of hostages.

Rifts with Hamas and a far-right minister’s threat to resign complicated progress toward the Israeli cabinet’s vote on the deal, which includes the release of hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza

Netanyahu's office said Thursday his Cabinet won't meet to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas backs down from what it called a "last minute crisis."

Qatar and the United States announced Wednesday the ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas. However, Israel PM Netanyahu a said the ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete.

President Joe Biden shared a tidbit of one of his conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the war on Palestine, though the revelation didn’t leave either country in a particularly good light.

Israel delays ceasefire vote amid airstrikes, Hamas dispute; Netanyahu faces coalition crisis over Gaza conflict.