Gaza ceasefire takes hold after delay, raising hopes of ending the war and freeing hostages
Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip (PANA) - A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, ushering in an initial six-week period of calm and raising hopes for the release of dozens of militant-held hostages and an end to a devastating 15-month conflict, UN News reported Sunday.
A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the start of the truce by nearly three hours and highlighted its fragility.
But even before the truce officially took effect, celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes.
Israel, meanwhile, announced the names of the first hostages expected to return home later Sunday, in exchange for the planned release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
The truce, which started at 11:15 a.m. local time, is just the first step toward ultimately ending the conflict and returning nearly 100 hostages abducted in Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack.
An Israeli official confirmed that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were set to be released later on Sunday. Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival, while the other two were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the families had approved the publication of the names.
Hamas was supposed to provide the three names before the start of the ceasefire, originally planned for 8:30 a.m. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Sunday that the militants had not lived up to that commitment and that the Israeli military would keep fighting until they did.
Hamas eventually released the names about two hours later, citing technical reasons and saying it was still committed to the agreement.
In the interim between 8:30 a.m. and when the ceasefire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not say whether they were civilians or fighters.
The military has warned people to stay away from Israeli forces as they retreat to a buffer zone.
Israel’s hardline national security minister meanwhile said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire agreement. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure weakens Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.
In a separate development, Israel announced that it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation in Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained in Gaza after the 2014 war and had not been returned despite a public campaign by their families.
Fragile agreement
The ceasefire deal was announced last week after a year of intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire should see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released.
Israeli forces should pull back into a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home.
The devastated territory should also see a surge in humanitarian aid.
-0- PANA RA 19Jan2025
