A few hours before the ceasefire agreement came into force, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas has not yet released the list of hostages to be released. This may delay the execution of the contract.
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu said, “We will not move forward with the deal until the list of hostages is in hand.” Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement. And if something like that happens, Hamas is fully responsible.'
According to the cease-fire agreement, Hamas must provide a list of hostages' names at least 24 hours before release. However, Hamas has not published this list yet. The deadline for the release of the hostages has been set for Sunday (January 19) at 4 pm local time.
According to Al-Jazeera's report, the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement will come into effect on Sunday at 8:30 am local time in Gaza. Netanyahu's cabinet approved the deal after a six-hour meeting on Saturday morning. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Majed Al-Ansari X Handle said that the cease-fire will be effective in the Gaza Strip from 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, coordinated by Hamas and Israel and mediators.
Advising Gazans to be cautious, he said, 'Everyone should exercise utmost caution and wait for instructions from government sources.'
On October 7, 2023, armed men led by Hamas attacked Israeli border areas, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and capturing 250. Since then, Israel has launched a massive military operation in Gaza. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in this war. About 23 lakh have been displaced. On the other hand, many of the hostages were released by Hamas. According to Israeli estimates, 98 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, either dead or alive.
