Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his Cabinet would not meet on Thursday to ratify the Gaza ceasefire agreement, accusing Palestinian militant group Hamas of backtracking on parts of the deal, reported Al Jazeera.

“Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions,” read a statement by Netanyahu’s office. “The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”

Israel and Hamas arrived at a ceasefire and hostage deal on Wednesday. The agreement is aimed at ending 15 months of conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The ceasefire is slated to take effect on Sunday. The Israeli Cabinet was expected to ratify the deal on Thursday.

After Netanyahu’s announcement, Hamas leader Izzat al-Risheq stated that the group was “committed to the ceasefire agreement that was announced by the mediators”.

Another Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said in an interview to Al-Arabi TV that there was “no basis” to Netanyahu’s statement, reported NPR.

Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Gaza since the ceasefire deal was announced.

At least 81 persons were killed by the strikes in the last 24 hours, Al Jazeera quoted Gaza’s health ministry as stating. Nearly 200 persons were injured.

Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then, killing more than 47,500 persons, including over 17,400 children.

About 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced within the territory, according to the United Nations’ Palestine refugee agency.

Some of the hostages were released in November 2023 as part of a brief ceasefire deal and some were killed as a result of the war.

Several unsuccessful rounds of talks for a ceasefire have been held since late 2023. Fresh negotiations took place in the Qatari capital Doha to sign the deal before Donald Trump takes office as the United States president on January 20. The talks are being mediated by neighbouring Egypt, Qatar and the United States’ Joe Biden administration.

Biden announced on Wednesday that the ceasefire will have three phases. The first phase will last six weeks, which will see a “full and complete ceasefire” with the Israeli military withdrawing from all populated areas of Gaza.

“A number of hostages” held by Hamas, including women, elderly and the wounded, would be released in the first phase, said the US president. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners held by Israel will be freed.

The second phase would be a “permanent end to the war”. It would also include the release of the remaining hostages, including men, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It also entails the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gazan territory.

The third and final phase would include the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of any remaining bodies of the hostages.

The negotiators were still working on steps to implement the deal.