LIVE: Joe Biden confirms Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to begin this weekend

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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Hamas has backtracked on an earlier agreement of the ceasefire deal.

He said the group wanted the release of specific prisoners, thus objecting to part of the deal that would give Israel the right to veto the release of certain Palestinian prisoners.

A statement released by his office said his negotiation team in Doha “reported to him on last-minute attempts by Hamas to backtrack from the understandings of May 27."

The statement added: "Among other things – contrary to a specific clause that grants Israel the veto power over the release of mass murderers who are symbols of terrorism, Hamas is demanding to dictate the identities of these terrorists.

“The Prime Minister instructed the negotiation team to stand firm on the agreed-upon understandings and to reject outright Hamas's last-minute attempts at extortion."

It is unclear if this disagreement was resolved before the ceasefire was agreed, or if the issue occurred after the announcement and will pose an issue in the implementation of the ceasefire.

Netanyahu’s cabinet has to vote on the ceasefire deal tomorrow morning.

The Palestinian Civil Defence said an Israeli attack targeting a residential block in Gaza City has killed 12 people, injuring 20 more.

Videos emerging from people in the area showed children were wounded.

The agency, led by Hamas, said earlier that the Israeli army has intensified its attacks on the area despite the ceasefire deal that was agreed today.

 Analysts and experts have predicted that Israel will likely intensify its bombing campaign on Gaza in the three days leading up to the ceasefire deal which will go into effect on Sunday.

  Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Donald Trump in last year’s US election, has praised President Biden for helping to achieve a ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza.

Harris faced criticism and protests during her presidential campaign for her failure to break from Biden’s position on the conflict in Gaza.

During her campaign, she pledged ‘iron-clad’ support for Israel while acknowledging the human suffering in Gaza - a position that didn’t convince many voters.

“We will never forget the lives taken as a result of the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, and the horrors endured by countless innocent people in the war that followed,” Harris said in a statement.

“In my many conversations with leaders in the region, my unwavering focus has been to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”

Her statement is emblematic of the position she maintained during her presidential campaign.

Read the full statement below.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a statement welcoming the “long overdue” announcement of a ceasefire deal and calling for a “huge surge” in humanitarian aid to the enclave.

“After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” he said.

"The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families...

"For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza."

He added that attention must now turn to the realisation of a “permanently better future” for the Israeli and Palestinian people which is “grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas offers “a moment of hope after over a year of agony.”

He described the war, which has gone on for more than 15 months, as ‘unbearable trauma’ for the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

He added that the people of Gaza, who have been subjected to unprecedented bombing campaigns and a tight blockade of humanitarian aid, have been going through 'a living nightmare'.

He said: “With this agreement, hostages and their families will be reunited and Gazans can begin to rebuild their lives. I pay tribute to the tireless diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the incoming and outgoing US administrations.

“Much remains to be done – to implement this in full to all phases of the deal and establish a pathway to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

“We will play our full part in the coming days and weeks, working alongside our partners, to seize this chance for a better future.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a televised statement that the ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas is the “right move” to bring Israeli hostages home.

“As the president of the state of Israel, I say in the clearest terms: This is the right move. This is an important move. This is a necessary move,” Herzog said.

“There is no greater moral, human, Jewish, or Israeli obligation than to bring our sons and daughters back to us – whether to recover at home, or to be laid to rest.”

Hamas has said reaching an agreement the ceasefire in Gaza represents “a crucial turning point” in its “struggle against the enemy.”

“The agreement to stop the aggression against Gaza is an achievement for our people, our resistance, our nation, and the free people of the world. It marks a crucial turning point in the struggle against the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return,” Hamas said in a statement.

The group thanked the mediating countries “who made great efforts to reach this agreement, especially Qatar and Egypt."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the ceasefire agreement, emphasising that the “priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict”.

“The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer,” he said.

During his press conference at the White House, Biden was asked how much credit Trump's administration deserved for reaching the ceasefire deal.

The outgoing president replied: “this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May. Exact.”

He said that US support for Israel helped them weaken Hamas and put pressure on them to accept a ceasefire deal.

He said his team was instructed to “coordinate closely” Trump's administration “to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice, because that’s what American presidents do.”

But when he turned to leave the room, a reported called out to him:“Who deserves credit for this Mr President, you or Trump?”

Turning to look back, Biden replied: “Is that a joke?”

Meanwhile, Qatar's PM praised the cooperation between the outgoing and incoming presidents.

He said: "What we have seen from the US in the past few days, seeing a collaboration transcending both administrations was a clear demonstration of the commitment from the us to reach that deal.

He then thanked both Biden and Trump's envoys who attended negotiations, who were in the room as he spoke, saying: "they played a vital role in reaching to this moment."