Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory and some Palestinians began returning home despite the delay, underscoring the fragility of the deal. The truce, which began at 11:15 a.m. local time (4:15 a.m. Eastern time), is a first step towards the definitive end of the conflict and the return of nearly 100 hostages kidnapped during the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 which triggered it.
An Israeli official confirmed that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were expected to be released later on Sunday. Romi Gonen was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, while the other two were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Emily Damari is an Israeli-British citizen.
The official said the families approved the release of the names. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in accordance with regulations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Hamas had failed to fulfill its commitment to provide the names of the three hostages it was to release in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners before the original start time of the ceasefire. -fire. The army said it would continue attacking targets in Gaza until the names were provided.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight people in the southern town of Khan Yunis after the ceasefire was delayed. Nasser Hospital confirmed casualties from Sunday’s strike, which it said occurred about two hours after the truce was scheduled to take effect. The Gaza Health Ministry reported three new deaths following strikes on Sunday in Gaza City.
Hamas had previously blamed “technical reasons” for the delay in handing over the names. He said in a statement that he was committed to respecting the ceasefire agreement announced last week.
The party of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, meanwhile, said its Cabinet ministers submitted their resignations from the government on Sunday, in opposition to the ceasefire. The departure of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Force) party weakens Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition, but will not affect the ceasefire.
In addition, Israel announced that it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in 2014, during a special operation. The bodies of Oron Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained in Gaza after the 2014 war and have not been returned, despite a public campaign by their families.
A delay which highlights the fragility of the agreement
The planned ceasefire, agreed after a year of intensive mediation between the United States, Qatar and Egypt, is the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at ending a war that has dragged on for 15 months.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he had instructed the army that the ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has committed to to provide”. He had issued a similar warning the night before.
The first phase of the ceasefire, lasting 42 days, is expected to see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Israeli forces are expected to withdraw to a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home. The devastated territory is also expected to see an increase in humanitarian aid.
It is only the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than the week-long pause more than a year ago, with the potential to end the fighting for good.
Negotiations on the much more difficult second phase of this ceasefire are expected to begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first six-week phase and how the rest of the nearly 100 Gaza hostages will be freed.
Palestinians celebrate despite delay
Across the Gaza Strip, celebrations erupted early Sunday as people hoped for a respite from 15 months of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed large areas of the territory. Masked activists appeared at some of the celebrations, where crowds chanted slogans in their support, according to Associated Press (AP) journalists in Gaza.
-The Gaza Civil Defense first responders, which operate under the Hamas-led government, held a parade in Gaza City, where rescue workers waved a Palestinian flag alongside other revelers, according to footage from the AP, which also showed a small group of people carrying the flags of Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant group after Hamas, which took part in the October 7 attack.
Hamas-led police began deploying in public after mostly going into hiding due to Israeli airstrikes. Residents of Gaza City reported seeing them operating in parts of the city, and the AP reporter in Khan Yunis saw small numbers of them in the streets.
Palestinian residents began returning to their homes in parts of Gaza City early Sunday, although tank shelling continued eastward, closer to the Israeli border, overnight. Families could be seen returning on foot, with their belongings loaded onto carts pulled by donkeys, residents said.
“The sound of bombings and explosions has not stopped,” said Ahmed Matter, a resident of Gaza City. He said he saw many families leaving their shelters and returning home. “People are impatient. They want this madness to stop,” he said.
Reactions in Israel were more muted, as people hoped for the safe return of the hostages, but remained divided over the deal.
Asher Pizem, 35, from the Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza, said he was looking forward to the return of the captives. But he added that the agreement had only postponed the next confrontation with Hamas and criticized Israel for allowing aid to Gaza, saying it would contribute to the revival of the militant group.
Israel’s cabinet approved the ceasefire early Saturday, in a rare session on the Jewish Shabbat, more than two days after mediators announced the deal. The warring sides were under pressure from both the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before Monday’s U.S. presidential inauguration.
The toll of the war was immense, and new details of its scale will now be revealed.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The attack carried out by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war, left more than 1,200 dead. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers died.
Nearly 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced. The United Nations says the health system, road network and other vital infrastructure have been severely damaged. Reconstruction – if the ceasefire reaches its final stages – will take at least several years. Key questions about Gaza’s future, political and otherwise, remain unanswered.
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press journalists Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Mohammad Jahjouh in Khan Younes, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
