Israel-Hamas сeasefire: LIVE UPDATES

2 days ago 4

LIVE UPDATES

The sides have agreed to a prisoner exchange amid a humanitarian truce in the deadly 15-month conflict

The long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into force at 09:15 GMT on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced on X. The truce, which was initially set to start three hours earlier, had been delayed due to Hamas’ failure to provide West Jerusalem with a list of hostages to be released later the same day as part of the first round of prisoner swaps.

Hamas attributed the delay in providing the list of names to “technical and field reasons.” Netanyahu’s office has confirmed it had received the list minutes before announcing the ceasefire.

The Israeli military continued operations in Gaza while awaiting the list. Gaza’s civil defense agency earlier reported that Israeli strikes killed at least nineteen people and injured more than 25 on Sunday morning.

Despite the delay in the ceasefire, thousands of Gazans took to the streets to celebrate and began returning to their homes.

Israel and Hamas reached a deal earlier this week to halt the 15-month conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties and extensive destruction in Gaza. The agreement, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, will be implemented in three phases, with the initial stage lasting six weeks.

19 January 2025
11:15 GMT
“The American administration has been militarily and financially supporting Israel and abusing their veto power. They have fabricated stories which have been proven to be fake and lies, we’ve all witnessed this amid the Biden administration,” Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has told RT, adding that Washington “has given Israel cover and time to the last minute” to organize the ceasefire “their own way.”
11:08 GMT
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has slammed Israel for continuing its operation in Gaza even after the terms of the ceasefire had been agreed upon.
“Unfortunately the Israeli government is struggling until the last minute in terms of the ceasefire,” he told RT.
“The agreement talked about 72 hours of calm before implementing the ceasefire agreement… And Israel is still wounding Palestinians.”
11:00 GMT
Gideon Saar has attributed delays in finalizing the ceasefire agreement to Hamas’ shifting stance on the conditions for releasing hostages.
“We hadn’t changed our minds on the conditions of the release of the hostages, Hamas did,” he stated, noting that this view is shared by US officials, who say Hamas was previously unprepared to engage in a hostage deal.
Saar expressed gratitude to both the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump for their efforts in facilitating the agreement.
10:59 GMT
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says West Jerusalem is committed to achieving the goals of its operation in Gaza, including the release of all hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’ government and military capabilities.
“This war could have ended long ago if Hamas laid down its weapons and handed over our hostages... If Hamas will stay in power, the regional instability it causes might continue. We are determined to achieve the objectives of the war,” he stated at a press briefing, calling the ceasefire “temporary.”
10:36 GMT
Thailand welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Thailand welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip... Thailand calls on all sides to fully implement the deal, as well as the immediate release of all remaining hostages, including Thai nationals,” the statement read. Eight Thai nationals who were taken hostage by Hamas from Israel on October 7, 2023 are believed to still be held in Gaza.
10:21 GMT
Photos shared online show large crowds of Palestinians returning to Gaza after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into force earlier on Sunday.
10:14 GMT
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said in a statement on X that it has 4,000 truckloads of humanitarian assistance carrying food and flour ready to enter Gaza.
10:14 GMT
Israel will free 90 Palestinian female prisoners on Sunday in exchange for the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas, according to media reports, citing Egypt’s state information service.
09:56 GMT
Qatar, the US, and Egypt have established a monitoring body in Cairo to ensure that Israel and Hamas adhere to the ceasefire terms.
09:50 GMT
The spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has come into effect.
“Regarding reports when the ceasefire will begin in Gaza, we confirm that the names of the 3 hostages to be released today have been handed over to the Israeli side. They are three Israeli citizens, one of whom is of Romanian nationality and the other of British nationality, and thus the ceasefire has begun,” Majed al-Ansari says.