Israel-Hamas ceasefire comes into effect

2025-01-19 10:38:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas – the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union – went into effect on Sunday.

The start of the ceasefire came after Hamas published the names of three female hostages it will release on January 19th.

The failure to hand over the names of the hostages delayed the truce's entry into force by more than two hours, as Israel earlier said it would continue fighting until the names were handed over, as stipulated in the agreement reached earlier in the week.

Hamas said earlier on Sunday that it was unable to submit the names in time due to "technical reasons on the ground." In a statement, the radical Palestinian group said it was committed to the ceasefire agreement.

Israel also said before the ceasefire began that it would continue fighting until a list of hostages was released. Later, the Israeli military said it had targeted a number of Hamas targets in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least eight people were killed on the morning of January 19.

With the release of the first three hostages, dozens of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel are also expected to be released.

There were celebrations across the Palestinian enclave on Sunday and some Palestinians began returning to their homes, although delays in the ceasefire's entry into force highlighted the fragility of the agreement.

The ceasefire agreement envisages an end to the 15-month war and the release of almost 100 hostages, who were taken during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, Israel announced that it had managed to retrieve the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in the Israel-Hamas war in 2014. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, had been in Gaza even after the end of the war in 2014.

The ceasefire, which was reached after a year of intensive mediation by the US, Qatar and Egypt, is the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at ending the 15-month war.

The first 42-day phase of the ceasefire is expected to see the release of 33 hostages held in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The pact calls for Israel to withdraw to a buffer zone inside Gaza and allow many displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. It also calls for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

This is the second ceasefire to come into effect since the war began in October 2023, after over a year ago the parties had paused fighting for a week and during that period several hostages were released.

Negotiations for the second phase, considered the most difficult, are scheduled to begin two weeks later. However, there are many questions about the issue, including whether the fighting will resume after the first six-week phase and how the remaining hostages will be released.

The war in Gaza has caused numerous casualties and extensive material damage. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Israeli offensive.

More than 90 percent of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced. The United Nations has said the health system, road network and vital infrastructure have been severely damaged. Reconstruction - if the ceasefire reaches its final stage - would take several years. Also unresolved is how Gaza will be governed after the conflict. /REL