JERUSALEM, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Last-minute disputes between Israel and Hamas over the final details of the newly announced Gaza ceasefire deal have been resolved, an Israeli official confirmed to Xinhua on Thursday.

The last-minute differences focused on the names of the Palestinian prisoners to be released, the official said.

The Israeli cabinet and government are expected to convene on Friday to vote on the provisional deal. Israel's agreement to the deal will become official only after the ministers' vote.

The votes were originally scheduled for Thursday but were postponed amid the reported dispute with Hamas as well as internal disagreements with far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition who oppose ending the fighting.

The deal is expected to have majority support in both the cabinet and government, despite threats by the two parties to quit the coalition unless the government commits to resuming Israel's onslaught in Gaza after the return of hostages.

Also on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press briefing in Washington that the deal will take effect on Sunday, with the first hostages -- three Israeli women -- to be released on the same day.

If implemented successfully, the deal, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., will end more than 15 months of fighting. Enditem

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