Jerusalem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Israeli PM Netanyahu has instructed its military not to trigger the Gaza ceasefire until Hamas submits the names of hostages whose release it demands, his office said.
A Gaza ceasefire agreement that was to take effect on January 19, 2025, has been pushed to a later date. The call was after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had appealed for Hamas to make public the names of the hostages whom they were going to release. Reuters quotes the Hamas group as saying that they cannot because it has some technical reasons for doing so.
An Israeli military representative stated in a statement issued at 0630 GMT when the deal was implied to take effect that Hamas was not fulfiling its commitments and that Israel would persist in attacking as long as Hamas did not fulfill its directions.
“The prime minister instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office stated on Sunday.
On the other hand, Hamas asserted its obligation to the Gaza ceasefire deal. It expressed that the pause in revealing the names of hostages to be released in the first stage had been caused by “technical reasons,” It did not explain. Israeli forces had begun retreating from places in Gaza’s Rafah to the Philadelphi passage along the boundary between Egypt and Gaza.
How will the ceasefire agreement be implemented in phases?
According to reports, the Israeli security cabinet has finally agreed on the details of the ceasefire deal, in addition to agreeing on a hostage outline. Reports are confirmed, showing that it begins on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 06:30 GMT. The ceasefire is being implemented in phases. For instance, during the initial six weeks, Hamas is said to be liberating 33 hostages, which would amount to releasing hundreds of Palestinians, among whom are prisoners found guilty of various terror-related felonies.
After the ceasefire takes effect, humanitarian work in Gaza will be increased. International organizations are committed to assisting in the facilitation of the delivery of aid. The United Nations has appealed for “swift, unrestricted, and continuous humanitarian access” to alleviate the suffering caused by continued violence.
