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The first phase of a long-awaited ceasefire deal in Gaza has begun after a delay of nearly three hours, with Hamas planning to release three Israelis later on Sunday.
The ceasefire was due to start at 08:30 (06:30 GMT), but Israel said Hamas had not given the names of the first hostages to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas blamed “technical reasons”.
19 Palestinians are reported to have been killed as Israeli forces launched a crackdown on what they described as “terrorists” in Gaza a day after the deadline.
The ceasefire went into effect at 11:15, when Israel received the names of the hostages. Mediator Qatar said it also includes British-Israeli and Romanian-Israeli citizens.
A statement from Hamas identified the three women as Romi Gonen, 24, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a Romanian citizen, and 28-year-old Emily Damari, the only Briton still alive after 15 months of devastating war.
The Israeli government has not confirmed the names, but said the women are among 33 Israelis who are to be exchanged with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. in the first six-week period of the contract.
Israeli forces will also withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, Palestinian refugees will be allowed to return home and hundreds of aid trucks will be allowed into the area every day.
Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the release of the remaining prisoners, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and the “restoration of permanent stability” – will begin on the 16th.
The third and final phase will involve the reconstruction of Gaza – which could take years – and the return of the remaining bodies of the captives.
On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any ceasefire would be “temporary”, and that Israel has the right to resume the war, with US support, if it collapses.
The Israeli army launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which has been declared a terrorist group by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. a captive.
More than 46,910 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the region’s Hamas-run health ministry. Many of the 2.3 million people have also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter as a result of efforts to get aid to those in need.
Israel says 94 of those captured are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are believed to have died. In addition, there are three Israelis who were kidnapped before the war, and one of them died.
Sunday morning, The Israeli military announced that a special forces unit had found the body of Staff Sgt Oron Shaulan Israeli soldier who was killed in the 2014 war in Gaza.
