Gaza Ceasefire Begins After Hamas Releases List of Hostages to Be Freed

A long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza commenced on Sunday after a delay of nearly three hours due to Hamas’s late submission of the names of the hostages it intends to release. The announcement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the ceasefire began at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT). Israel had previously stated that it would continue its operations until the names were provided, in line with the terms of the agreement.

Hamas explained the delay in disclosing the names as being due to “technical field reasons,” asserting its commitment to the ceasefire deal announced the previous week.

This ceasefire halts fighting after 15 months of intense conflict and includes provisions for the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The deal was approved by Israel’s Cabinet early on Saturday.

The truce was the result of months of indirect negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. It marks the second ceasefire achieved in the ongoing conflict that began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of over 250 individuals. Although nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza, the violence from Israel’s response has claimed the lives of more than 46,000 Palestinians, as reported by local health officials. These figures include both militants and civilians, with women and children comprising a significant portion of the fatalities.

Israeli media outlets have confirmed that one of the three hostages to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement is Romi Gonen, a 24-year-old woman who was abducted from a music festival during the opening days of the war. Her release was reportedly confirmed via a post on her brother’s social media.

Despite the confirmation in the media, Israel has not yet verified any of the names on the list provided by Hamas. Additionally, the families of the other two hostages listed for release have not yet issued statements regarding the matter.