Doha, Jan 15 (AP) Negotiations between Israel and Hamas hit a last-minute snag on Wednesday, delaying the expected announcement of a ceasefire agreement to pause the devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel accused Hamas of trying to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements along Gaza's border with Egypt and said it strongly rejected the move. Hamas called the claims “nonsense”.

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The finger-pointing forced Qatar, which has been mediating weeks of painstaking negotiations, to delay an expected announcement of a deal.

The sides have been working on a phased agreement that would include the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, the return of displaced Palestinians in Gaza to what remains of their homes and an influx of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

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It was not immediately clear how serious the dispute was, or whether the agreement was in danger of collapse. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)