Israel, Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal to go into effect Sunday morning though Netanyahu issues warning
long awaited ceasefire and hostage release agreement Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that an agreement between Hamas and Israel would come into effect in less than 24 hours.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Majid al-Ansari said in a post on He advised people to remain cautious and wait for instructions from officials while the protocol comes into effect.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later warned that the ceasefire would not go ahead unless Israel received a list of hostages to be released as part of the agreement.
“Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Hamas bears full responsibility,” he said in a statement.
His statement came nearly three hours after Israel was expected to receive names that Hamas would provide to mediator Qatar. There was no immediate response from Hamas or Qatar.
The prime minister, who addressed the nation about 12 hours before the ceasefire began, also said Israel views the ceasefire with Gaza as temporary and reserves the right to continue fighting if necessary. He claimed he had the support of President-elect Donald Trump, whom he said he spoke to on Wednesday.
Tsavril Abayov/Associated Press
Early Saturday morning local time, Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire agreement In Gaza, dozens of hostages will be released and a moratorium on the 15-month war with Hamas will be announced. The agreement brings both parties one step closer to ending their cooperation The deadliest and most destructive battle ever fought.
“In the name of God, we hope that today is the last day of the war,” one displaced person from southern Gaza told CBS News.
How ceasefires and hostage agreements work
The deal is divided into three phases, each lasting 42 days, according to a draft translation of the deal seen by CBS News and a description from President Biden.
According to a draft seen by CBS News, Hamas will begin releasing hostages on day one, starting with the return of three hostages to Israel. On the seventh day, Hamas released four hostages. Since then, Hamas has released three hostages taken from Israel every seven days, first the living and then the bodies of the dead.
A total of 33 women and children hostages, as well as those over the age of 50, would be released in the first phase, according to the draft seen by CBS News.
Maya Areruzo/AP
Biden said Wednesday that the hostages released in this phase would include Americans, but he did not specify any hostages or how soon they would be released.
The remaining hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in the second phase, while negotiations will take place in the first phase. Hamas says it will not release the remaining prisoners without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Eyvatar David’s brother, Eli David, has been held hostage by Hamas since the attack on October 7, 2023. Eyvatar is expected to be released in Phase 2.
“If they have a heart, if they can have empathy, if they know my brother, send him a message,” Eli David said in a message to Hamas. “Tell him, We are fighting for him, we love him and we desperately want him to come home.”
In the first phase, some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange for 33 hostages, living or dead, the plan said. Among the prisoners are 1,167 Gaza residents who are being held by Israel but were not involved in the attack on October 7, 2023. At this stage, all Gazan women and children under the age of 19 held by Israel will be released.
The fighting will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, according to a ceasefire plan approved by the Cabinet and signed by Israel’s national security adviser. During each exchange, Israel releases the prisoners upon the safe arrival of the hostages.
Help is still on the way, missile attacks continue
Despite news of the ceasefire, sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday and the military said it intercepted artillery shells fired from Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up missile attacks in recent weeks. The group said the attacks were part of its campaign to pressure Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.
Israel also continues to launch attacks on the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 23 people died the previous day.
Additionally, in the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw into a roughly one kilometer (0.6 mile) wide buffer zone inside Gaza along the border with Israel.
Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu Photo: Getty Images
This will enable displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, including those in Gaza City and northern Gaza. With much of Gaza’s population herded into vast, squalid tent camps, Palestinians are desperate to return to their homes, even though many have been destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli actions.
Population numbers should also surge in heavily damaged areas. humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid line up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border into Gaza on Friday.
Two Egyptian government ministers arrived in northern Sinai on Saturday to oversee preparations for the delivery of aid and to receive the evacuation of the wounded, the Egyptian Ministry of Health said.
Hamas launches war on October 7, 2023cross-border attacks on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 prisoners. There are still nearly 100 hostages in Gaza.
Israel has launched a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. They did not distinguish between civilians and militants but said more than half of the dead were women and children.
