The moment of truth for Gaza has come. Israel announced that the truce in the Gaza Strip with Hamas would officially begin at 11:15 a.m. local time (10:15 a.m. in Paris), Sunday January 19. Earlier, Hamas released the names of three Israeli hostages to be released today, a list receipt confirmed by Israel and the Qatari mediator. They are Doron Steinbrecher (31 years old), Romi Gonen (24 years old) and Emily Damari (28 years old), all three kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
The entry into force of the ceasefire was initially scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. in Paris), but was delayed due to a delay in Hamas’s publication of the names of the released hostages. Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, the Israeli army carried out new strikes which left eight people dead in the Gaza Strip, according to the local Civil Defense. Follow our live stream.
Here are the rules for the first stage of the agreement. The first phase of the agreement concluded between the belligerents provides for a cessation of hostilities and the release spread over a period of six weeks of 33 hostages held in Gaza. In exchange, Israel must release 737 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Israeli Ministry of Justice, with Egypt putting the number at 1,890.
Who will be released on Sunday? The first group of hostages released will be made up of three Israeli women. As for prisoners, the Israeli Ministry of Justice designated 95 Palestinian detainees for release on the first day of the truce. The majority of them are women and minors, most of them arrested after October 7, who will be able to find their freedom after 4 p.m. (3 p.m. in Paris). According to the ministry, the youngest on this first list is 16 years old.
-In disagreement over Gaza, a far-right party leaves the ruling coalition. The Jewish Force party of far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced on Sunday that it was leaving the ruling coalition, due to a dispute over the truce with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This political group described the agreement with Hamas as “scandalous”.
Body of Israeli soldier recovered ten years later. In parallel with this truce, which has not yet begun, the body of a soldier detained in Gaza since 2014 was recovered last night by the Israeli army during a “special operation”.
A temporary and fragile ceasefire. Benjamin Netanyahu claimed it on Friday: Israel reserves “the right to resume the war” against Hamas at any time “with the support of the United States”. “This is a temporary ceasefire”he insisted in a televised speech, threatening to retaliate “with more force” in the event of a resumption of hostilities.
