Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal comes into effect after delays
The first phase of a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire agreement has begun after a nearly three-hour delay, with Hamas set to release three Israeli hostages on Sunday.
The ceasefire was scheduled to begin at 08:30 (06:30 GMT), but Israel said Hamas had not provided the names of the first hostages to be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas blamed “technical reasons”.
Nineteen Palestinians were reportedly killed as Israeli forces attacked “terrorist targets” in Gaza after the initial deadline passed.
The ceasefire finally took effect at 11:15 after Israel received the names of the hostages. Mediator Qatar said they included British-Israeli and Romanian-Israeli dual citizens.
A Hamas statement identified the three women as 24-year-old Romy Gonen, 31-year-old Romanian national Doron Steinbrecher and 28-year-old Emily Damari, who remains the only British citizen still detained after the devastating 15-month war.
The Israeli government has not yet confirmed the names It said the women were among 33 Israeli hostages to be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners During the first six-week phase of the deal.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the area each day.
Negotiations for the second phase – which should include the release of remaining hostages, the withdrawal of full Israeli forces and the “restoration of lasting peace” – will begin on the 16th.
The third and final phase would involve the reconstruction of Gaza – which 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 if it breaks, Israel reserved the right to restart the war with US support.
On 7 October 2023, the Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. and 251 people were killed. mortgage.
More than 46,910 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Much of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there has been widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter as aid struggles to get to those in need.
Israel says 94 hostages are still held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are three Israelis who were kidnapped before the war, one of whom has since died.
sunday morning, The Israeli military announced that special forces had recovered the body of Staff Sergeant Oron ShaulAn Israeli soldier who was killed in the 2014 war in Gaza.
