The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Thursday that 81 people were killed in the Palestinian territory in the previous 24 hours, during which a ceasefire deal was announced, taking the overall war death toll to 46,788.
The ministry said at least 110,453 people have been wounded in more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 resistance campaign.
On Thursday, Israel accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza war, and carried out fresh air strikes ahead of an expected vote by the cabinet.
The truce, announced by mediators Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, after which the terms of a permanent end to the war would be finalized.
But the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Hamas had "reneged on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions."
It also said that the Israeli cabinet, which has yet to approve the agreement, "will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement."
Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri said there was "no basis" to Israel's accusations.
The agreement followed months of fruitless negotiations to end the deadliest war in Gaza's history, and, if finalized, would pause hostilities one day before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Netanyahu spoke with both US President Joe Biden and Trump on Wednesday, the Israeli leader's office said, thanking them for their help securing the agreement but also cautioning that "final details" were still being worked on.
Israel's ensuing campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,707 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
Mixed feelings
In Israel and Gaza, there were celebrations but also anguish. Gaza City resident Fadl Naeem told AFP he felt "so happy, but at the same time, a deep sadness."
"We have lost grandchildren, fathers, brothers, cousins, neighbours, and our homes" in the war, he said.
In Tel Aviv, pensioner Simon Patya said he felt "great joy" that some hostages will return alive, but also "great sorrow for those who are returning in bags, and that will be a very strong blow, morally."
Two far-right party leaders in Netanyahu's cabinet have publicly opposed the agreement.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was a "dangerous deal," while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called it "disastrous." The deal followed intensified efforts from mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani announced on Wednesday that the "two belligerents in the Gaza Strip have reached a deal."
"We hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement," he said, adding that the three mediators would monitor its implementation.
During an initial 42-day ceasefire, 33 hostages would be released, the Qatari prime minister said, including women, "children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded."
Also in the first phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza's densely populated areas and would allow displaced Palestinians to return "to their residences," he said.
