Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday, January 19, that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas would not go into effect as planned unless Hamas provides a list of Israeli hostages to be released.
Netanyahu emphasized that since Hamas had not yet supplied the names of the hostages, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would continue their operations, including strikes within Gaza.
The ceasefire was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, with Hamas promising to provide the list of hostages. However, the ceasefire remains on hold as Israel waits for the names of those to be freed.
Hamas attributed the delay in providing the names to “technical field reasons” and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire deal reached the previous week.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire deal early on Saturday, which would see the release of dozens of hostages and temporarily halt the war with Hamas, which started following the group’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The deal includes the release of 33 hostages over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The release of the remaining hostages will be negotiated in a second phase.
Hamas has agreed to release three female hostages on the first day, four on the seventh day, and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.
Since the ceasefire was meant to begin, at least eight Gazans have been killed in IDF strikes, according to a Hamas-run agency.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari stated, “As of this morning, Hamas has not fulfilled its obligation, and contrary to the agreement, has not provided the State of Israel with the names of the returning female hostages up to this time. The ceasefire will not come into effect as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations.”
Hamas has stated that it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal. This marks the second ceasefire agreement during the ongoing conflict.
Once the ceasefire begins, Gaza is expected to receive a significant increase in humanitarian aid.
The war, which started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, has resulted in roughly 1,200 Israeli deaths and around 250 abductions. In retaliation, Israeli forces have killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health officials, though the figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Nearly 100 hostages are still held in Gaza.
