The ceasefire in Gaza began after Hamas provided the names of three female Israeli hostages it plans to hand over on Sunday, ending an hours-long delay that led to more deadly attacks.
A suspension of hostilities came into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry, later than the initially planned 8:30 a.m. time. The three hostages are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, who is also a British citizen, according to Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government was reviewing the details of the list and that the families of the hostages had been informed. Steinbrecher, 31, and Damari, 28, were kidnapped from Kfar Aza, and Gonen, 24, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
The deal brokered by Qatar and Egypt, backed by Washington, stipulates an initial six-week ceasefire during which 33 hostages will be released by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. The first exchange of three hostages for around 90 detainees was expected to take place later on Sunday.
Hamas said the delay in delivering the names of those to be released in the first batch was due to “technical and field reasons.”
The Israeli army stated at 9:20 a.m. that it was attacking in Gaza and that “artillery and aircraft hit a number of terrorist targets in northern and central Gaza.” It also later stated that the Israeli Air Force is attacking targets in the Gaza Strip.
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Gaza’s civil defense — a branch of the Hamas-controlled interior ministry — said 13 Palestinians had been killed since Sunday morning in a wave of Israeli airstrikes and shelling.
The militant group said it has begun deploying thousands of police officers under a government plan to “maintain security and order.”
“Government ministries and institutions are fully prepared to begin work according to a plan to implement all procedures that ensure a gradual return to normal life,” Hamas said.
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In the southern cities of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis, Hamas officers appeared in uniforms but were unarmed. A video circulating on social media showed armed men from Hamas’ military wing, dressed in uniforms, leaving in pickup trucks from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, surrounded by cheering revelers.
Elsewhere, Palestinians have been documented moving on foot from Gaza City to the northern parts of the enclave where Israel has operated in recent months.
Residents of northern Gaza who fled to the southern regions of the enclave will not be able to return home until the seventh day of the ceasefire — initially on foot and later, on the 22nd day, by vehicle.
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Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel has US guarantees to return to fighting if negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire fail and that “Israel is keeping significant assets in our hands to return all our hostages and to meet all objectives of war.”
Israel’s count of remaining hostages in Gaza was lowered to 97 after it said its forces had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier held by Hamas since 2014. The vast majority of the hostages are from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 , which triggered the current conflict.
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
