Benjamin Netanyahu updating via broadcast on the Gaza ceasefire delays. Photo Credit Facebook Benjamin Netanyahu
With just minutes to go before the Gaza Ceasefire came into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu announced he would delay the armistice.
Netanyahu says that Israel is waiting for a list of three hostages they expect to be released today, the list has thus far not been provided by Hamas and in the terms of the ceasefire agreement, 24 hours’ notice should have been given. Which means the 4pm planned hostage handover will in all probability not take place.
Netanyahu last night gave a broadcasted speech saying that Israel “reserve the right to return to fighting if needed with the backing of the United States.” In the same broadcast he called this a “temporary ceasefire” and threatened that “if we do go back to fighting, we will do it in new ways and we will do it very powerfully.” In a singular moment of hope during the speech he said “we will bring all of the hostages held in Gaza home”.
Have the Israeli hostages been released?
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said this morning in a brief conference that until Gaza met its ceasefire obligations Israelis military operations will continue in Gaza. He reiterated that Hamas have failed to announce the names of the three hostages they planned to release today. Hamas is saying the delay is due to a technical issue.
This hostage exchange is the first part of a three-stage process towards a ceasefire, the first stage of which should have taken six weeks. Qatar, the United States and Egypt have all mediated for months between the two warring sides just to get them to this point. It would be a humanitarian and international relations disaster if at this pivotal moment the ceasefire negotiations failed.
There will be updates on the Gaza Ceasefire here.
