Israel confirmed late Sunday morning a long-awaited cease-fire has gone into effect after a three-hour delay caused by Hamas not releasing the names of the three hostages it plans to release.
The agreement was set to go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time, but was delayed until 11:15 a.m. local time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security situation assessment over the delay in receiving the list of hostages who are expected to be released Sunday morning as part of a cease-fire agreement with Hamas, which eventually provided the names.
Hamas said a couple of hours after the agreement was scheduled to go into effect that it would be releasing hostages Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Demari, 27, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, on Sunday. Israel confirmed it has received the names. The hostages are expected to be released later Sunday.
Earlier, Netanyahu told the Israeli Defense Forces that the cease-fire would not begin until Israel had the list of hostages expected to be freed. Since Hamas had not given the names of the hostages by the time the cease-fire was set to start, the IDF continued to operate, as it was still striking inside Gaza. At least eight Gazans have been killed in IDF strikes since the cease-fire was set to begin, according to a Hamas-run agency.
“As of this morning, Hamas has not fulfilled its obligation, and contrary to the agreement, has not provided the State of Israel with the names of the returning female hostages up to this time. The ceasefire will not come into effect as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said earlier on Sunday.
WHAT TO EXPECT AS ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE GOES INTO EFFECT ON SUNDAY
Romi Gonen, Emily Demari, and Doron Steinbrecher. (Fox News)
Hamas had said the delay in providing the names was due to “technical field reasons” and added that it is committed to the cease-fire deal announced last week.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early Saturday morning for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and pause the war with Hamas that began after the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State.
The deal would allow 33 hostages to be set free over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages are set to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
A girl pauses at a mural of female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Hebrew reads: “look them in the eyes.” (AP)
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting cease-fire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
This is the second cease-fire achieved during the war.
Gaza is expected to receive a surge in humanitarian aid when the cease-fire begins.
A wall covered with photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip after the deadly Oct 7 Hamas attack calling for the release of the hostages on January 17, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
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The 15-month-long war in Gaza started when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 people wer killed and about 250 others were abducted, prompting military retaliation from Israeli forces. Nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s offensive, according to the Hamas-run government’s local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
