HAITHAM IMAD/EPA
Displaced Palestinians on their way to Rafah, near Khan Yunis, where they took refuge, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has already released, however, the names of the three hostages that will be released this Sunday, after Israel assured that it would continue attacking if it did not have this list. “More than 1,890 Palestinians” will be exchanged for 33 hostages.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip came into force at 11:15 am local time (9:15 am in Lisbon), announced the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which was supposed to come into force from 8:30 am local time (6:30 am in Lisbon), was postponedwith the Israeli Army carrying out attacks in the morning in the north of the Gaza Strip after that time, observed an AFP journalist in Sderot, already after 07:00.
The Israeli Prime Minister assured this Saturday that Israel would continue fighting in Gaza until the names of the hostages to be released this Sunday were handed over, in accordance with the agreement.
Hamas released on Sunday the list of three Israeli hostages that will be released on this first day of the ceasefire. According to the group, they are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damaryaccording to Spanish news agency EFE.
Israel had no immediate comment after Hamas’ armed wing posted the names on social media.
Netanyahu warned an hour before the ceasefire came into force that the Palestinian Islamist group had not yet named the three names, meaning the truce would not be implemented. Hamas, for its part, expressed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, stating that the delay in its entry into force was due to “technical reasons on the ground”without providing further details.
A warning to Palestinians
The Israeli army warned residents of the Gaza Strip not to approach Israeli forces or head towards the buffer zone, before the truce with Hamas came into effect.
“We ask that you do not head towards the buffer zone or towards the forces [militares de Israel]”, wrote Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on the messaging platform Telegram.
“At this stage, heading towards the buffer zone or moving from south to north through the Gaza Valley puts you in danger. Anyone heading to these areas is putting themselves at risk,” he added.
The agreement
The first phase of the ceasefire, divided into six weeksprovides for the cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Announced on Wednesday by mediators, the agreement aims, according to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed ben Abdelrahmane Al-Thani, eventually lead to “a definitive end to the war”triggered by an unprecedented attack by Palestinian Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, during which hostages were abducted.
“More than 1890 Palestinians” for 33 Israeli hostages
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this Saturday that Israel is preparing to release “more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners”, in exchange for 33 Israelis held hostage by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Egypt, which mediated the agreement negotiations together with Qatar and the United States, indicated that this exchange will take place during the first 42-day phase of the agreement intended to put an end to the worst war in the history of the Gaza Strip.
Previously, it had been announced that in the initial phase of the agreement, in addition to the end of hostilities, 737 Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages.
The remaining 61 hostages, living and dead, will only be returned to Israel at a later stage, the terms of which will still be negotiated between the parties, with the help of mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
Far-right leaves Government (but may return)
The six deputies from the far-right Israeli party Poder Judaico, led by Minister Itamar Ben Gvirwill leave the government coalition this Sunday, in protest against the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, with the executive losing its parliamentary majority.
In a statement, Jewish Power announced that it will leave the coalition “in light of the approval of the risky agreement with the Islamic organization Hamas”, just as Ben Gvir had already threatened on Thursday that he would do.
The departure of six parliamentarians from Jewish Power will leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government coalition with 59 representatives, below the 61 needed to have a parliamentary majorityalthough the opposition does not have enough support to assume executive power.
On Thursday, Ben Gvir assured that he would return to the Government if the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip were resumed, which would mean the end of the ceasefire at the end of its first phase, of 42 days.
