Published: January 19, 2025 6:24 am
Author: RT
The sides have agreed to a prisoner exchange amid a humanitarian truce in the deadly 15-month conflict
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a delay in the planned Gaza ceasefire until Hamas provides the names of hostages set for release. The truce is scheduled to begin at 8:30am local time on Sunday.
Hamas is expected to release a group of Israeli hostages – including women, children, and elderly individuals – as part of the ceasefire agreement. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
Hamas was supposed to provide Israel with the names of the first three hostages to be released on Saturday afternoon, but the names have not yet been delivered. Hamas says the delay is due to “technical reasons.”
Israel and Hamas reached a deal earlier this week to halt the 15-month conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties and extensive destruction in Gaza. The agreement, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, will be implemented in three phases, with the initial stage lasting six weeks.
The Israeli government approved the deal despite opposition from hardliners, with Netanyahu warning that Israel would resume the conflict if the ceasefire proves ineffective.
“If we must return to fighting, we will do that in new, forceful ways,” Netanyahu said, adding that both outgoing US President Joe Biden and incoming President Donald Trump “have given full backing to Israel’s right to return to the fighting.”
The war was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages taken. In retaliation, Israeli forces have conducted extensive operations in Gaza, leading to the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians and the forced displacement of nearly 2 million.
