Istanbul, Turkiye – The highly anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been delayed, with Israel stating that the truce will not commence until it receives a list of hostages set for release.
The ceasefire, originally scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), was postponed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on receiving the names of those to be freed before the truce could begin. The Palestinian group Hamas attributed the delay to “technical and logistical reasons” but reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, Hamas reiterated its adherence to the terms of the truce, which was brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The first phase of the agreement includes the release of 33 hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire follows over 15 months of conflict, which erupted after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the war has killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, with over 110,700 injured. Israel, meanwhile, reports more than 400 soldiers killed in combat.
Despite the delay, expectations remain that the ceasefire will soon come into effect, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to parts of northern Gaza while Israel begins withdrawing troops from certain areas.
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