Israel delayed approval of a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release of hostages, but the United States said it still expected the agreement to go into effect on Sunday as planned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, due on Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a "loose end" was being tied up and that he was confident the ceasefire would still begin on Sunday as planned.

Israeli government officials said they would wait at least until tomorrow before voting to ratify a deal to pause the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of dozens of Israeli hostages. The vote, which had been expected today, was delayed as diplomats raced to work through last-minute disputes between the two sides.