Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal to come into force after delay

The first phase of a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal has begun after a nearly three-hour delay, with Hamas set to release three Israeli hostages on Sunday.

The ceasefire was due to start at 08:30 (0630 GMT), but Israel said Hamas had not released the names of the first hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas blamed it on “technical reasons”.

Nineteen Palestinians were reportedly killed in what the Israeli military called “terror targets” in Gaza after the initial deadline passed.

The ceasefire finally came into effect at 11:15, after Israel received the names of the hostages. The Qatari mediator said it included British-Israelis and Romanian-Israelis.

A Hamas statement identified the three women as Romi Gonen, 24, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a Romanian citizen, and Emily Damari, 28, who is the only British citizen still in prison after the devastating 15-month war.

The Israeli government has not confirmed the names, however he said the women are among the 33 Israeli hostages who must be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. during the first six-week phase of the agreement.

Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks will enter the territory every day.

Negotiations for the second phase – which would require the release of the remaining hostages, the withdrawal of all Israeli troops and the “restoration of lasting calm” – will begin on the 16th.

The third and final stage will be the rebuilding of Gaza – something that could take years – and the return of the bodies of the remaining hostages.

On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any ceasefire would be “temporary” and that Israel reserved the right to resume war, with US backing, if it was broken.

Israel’s military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. kidnapped

Nearly 47,000 people have died in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. Most of the 2.3 million people have also been displaced, there is widespread destruction and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter as a result of the struggle to get aid to those in need.

Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are three Israelis kidnapped before the war, one of whom is dead.

Sunday morning The Israeli army announced that special forces recovered the body of Sergeant Oron ShaulAn Israeli soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war.