The ceasefire in Gaza will not start until Hamas releases the identities of the three captives it plans to free later Sunday in return for dozens of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated early Sunday.
Hours before the ceasefire was scheduled to start, Israel also declared that it had found the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas battle, in a special operation. Despite a public effort by their families, the bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, were still in Gaza following the 2014 conflict.
In a statement, Netanyahu said he had instructed the military that the ceasefire, which was to come into effect at 8:30 a.m., “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed, which Hamas committed to provide.” He had issued a similar warning the night before.
Hamas cited “technical field reasons” as the reason for the delay in releasing the names. In a statement, it affirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement that was made public last week.
The conversation cast doubt on whether the ceasefire, which is the first stage in a protracted and precarious process to end the 15-month conflict, would start as scheduled.
The ceasefire’s initial 42-day period is expected to see the release of hundreds of Palestinian inmates and detainees as well as the return of 33 hostages from Gaza. Many of the Palestinians who have been displaced should be allowed to return home when Israeli forces withdraw into a buffer zone inside Gaza. Humanitarian help should also increase in the damaged area.
This is just the second ceasefire in the war, and it has the ability to put a halt to the combat permanently. It is also lengthier and more significant than the week-long break that occurred more than a year ago.
In a little more than two weeks, negotiations on the much more challenging second phase of this truce should start. There are still many unanswered concerns, including as how the remaining almost 100 hostages in Gaza will be released and whether the battle will restart after the initial six-week phase.
More than two days after mediators announced the agreement, Israel’s Cabinet authorised the ceasefire early Saturday in an unprecedented session held during the Jewish Sabbath. Both President-elect Donald Trump and the departing Biden administration put pressure on the opposing parties to reach an agreement prior to Monday’s U.S. presidential inauguration.
The toll of the war has been immense, and new details on its scope will now emerge.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed. More than 1,200 people were killed in the war-starting Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. There have been hundreds of Israeli soldiers killed.
Approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s population is now displaced. According to the UN, there has been significant damage to the road system, health system, and other essential infrastructure. If the ceasefire reaches its last stage, reconstruction will take at least a few years. There are still many unanswered uncertainties regarding Gaza’s future, both political and otherwise.
