The first phase of the long-awaited Gaza ceasefire agreement has begun after a delay of about three hours, with Hamas set to release three Israeli hostages late Sunday.
The ceasefire was due to begin at 08:30 (06:30 GMT), but Israel said Hamas had not passed on the names of the first hostages to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas blamed “technical reasons”.
Nineteen Palestinians have reportedly been killed when Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on what were called ‘terrorist targets’ in the Gaza Strip after an initial deadline had passed.
The ceasefire eventually went into effect at 11:15, after Israel received the names of the hostages. Mediator Qatar said it included British-Israeli and Romanian-Israeli dual nationals.
Hamas said in a statement that the three women were Romanian citizens Romi Gonen, 24, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Emily Damari, 28, the only British citizen still detained after 15 months of brutal war. .
The Israeli government did not confirm the names, but It said the women were among 33 Israeli hostages to be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. During the first six week phase of trading.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks will be allowed to enter the area every day.
The second phase of negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages, full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and “restoration of sustainable tranquility” is scheduled to begin on the 16th.
The third and final phase will involve rebuilding the Gaza Strip, which could take years, and repatriating the bodies of the remaining hostages.
On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the cease-fire would be ‘temporary’ and that if the war collapsed, Israel would have the right to resume it with US support.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas, which Israel, the United States and others consider a terrorist organization, on October 7, 2023, in response to unprecedented cross-border attacks that left about 1,200 people dead and 251 arrested. hostage.
Since then, more than 46,910 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the country’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, widespread destruction has occurred and the struggle to help those in need is causing severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
Israel says 94 of the hostages are still held by Hamas, and 34 of them are presumed dead. There are also three Israelis kidnapped before the war, one of whom died.
Sunday morning, The Israeli military announced that special forces had recovered the body of Sergeant Oron Shaul.He is an Israeli soldier who died in the 2014 Gaza War.
