The long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun following a 3-hour delay in the Palestinian regime naming three female hostages it has promised it would release later in the day.
Israel had pledged to keep up hostilities against Palestinian territories until Hamas had released the names. Tensions are running higher than ever at the moment, because if Hamas does not make good on their side of the bargain, Israel has promised to intensify their attacks on the Palestinian enclave.
It is hoped that this exchange of prisoners is the first step in reaching a peace accord in the long-fought war that has seen thousands of civilians slaughtered.
Israelis announce names of hostages to be released by Hamas
An Israeli official confirmed that Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher were on the list to be returned to Israel later on Sunday. Gonen was abducted from the Nova music festival in October 2024, while Damari and Steinbrecher were taken from the Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The fragile truce began at 11.15am local time.
An airstrike by the Israeli military killed eight people on the Palestinian side in the southern city of Khan Younis when Hamas delayed giving the names of the three hostages to be released as Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to keep up offensives until Hamas kept their side of the bargain.
Israeli security minister resigns in opposition to ceasefire
Netanyahu’s coalition has been weakened in recent days as Itamar Ben-Gvir, hard-line National Security Minister, resigned over his disagreement with the ceasefire, taking the support of his Jewish Power party with him.
After a year of mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, the planned ceasefire process hopes to wind down the 15-month war. Netanyahu has said that any ceasefire will not continue until all 33 Israeli hostages are released. If both sides keep to their commitments, this ceasefire should see the release of all of the hostages over the next 42 days, as well as hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
Negotiations to end the fighting should now begin in the next couple of weeks, and humanitarian aid will be allowed to safely enter Palestinian territories.
