The long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into force at 09:15 GMT on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced on X. The truce, which was initially set to start three hours earlier, had been delayed due to Hamas’ failure to provide West Jerusalem with a list of hostages to be released later the same day as part of the first round of prisoner swaps.
Hamas attributed the delay in providing the list of names to “technical and field reasons.” Netanyahu’s office has confirmed it had received the list minutes before announcing the ceasefire.
The Israeli military continued operations in Gaza while awaiting the list. Gaza’s civil defense agency earlier reported that Israeli strikes killed at least nineteen people and injured more than 25 on Sunday morning.
Despite the delay in the ceasefire, thousands of Gazans took to the streets to celebrate and began returning to their homes.
Israel and Hamas reached a deal earlier this week to halt the 15-month conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties and extensive destruction in Gaza. The agreement, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, will be implemented in three phases, with the initial stage lasting six weeks.
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20 January 2025
More than 630 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Sunday, marking the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, has confirmed.
“There is no time to lose,” Fletcher said in a statement. “After 15 months of relentless war, the humanitarian needs are staggering. We recognize the logistical challenges facing those delivering this aid, including mountains of rubble and unexploded remnants of war. The safety of all civilians, including aid workers, remains our top priority.”
While the ceasefire has enabled a significant increase in aid deliveries, including over 300 trucks sent to northern Gaza, where needs are most critical, Fletcher warned that the effort is just a beginning, given the catastrophic conditions in the Palestinian enclave.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed hope and cautious optimism following the Gaza ceasefire and the beginning of the hostage and prisoner release process. In a statement shared on X, Tedros emphasized the significance of the ceasefire for millions affected by the conflict but warned of the immense challenges ahead in addressing Gaza’s health crisis.
“Addressing the massive health needs and restoring the health system in Gaza will be a complex and challenging task, given the scale of destruction, operational complexity, and constraints involved,” Tedros wrote on X. The WHO chief has urged all parties to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and work towards achieving lasting peace.
Thousands of Palestinians gathered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to celebrate the release of 90 prisoners as part of a prisoner exchange deal. Residents cheered and waved Palestinian and Hamas flags as buses, organized by the Red Cross, arrived in Beitunia, west of the city, carrying the freed detainees.
Scenes of jubilation unfolded as people surrounded the buses, with some climbing atop the vehicles, waving green Hamas-aligned flags. The release was met with widespread celebrations, with crowds chanting and rejoicing late into the night.
19 January 2025
The Israel Prison Service has announced that 90 Palestinian captives have finally been released hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages. Earlier, an Israeli official blamed the Red Cross for delays in the transfer, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Several buses, presumed to be carrying Palestinian prisoners, have left Israel’s Ofer prison, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Israeli drones released several tear gas canisters on crowds awaiting the release of Palestinian prisoners near Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, according to CNN.
“We saw at least two canisters being dropped targeting the crowds and press that had gathered on top of a hill overlooking Ofer Prison,” said CNN’s Nada Basheer.
A spokesperson for the Israeli police told CNN that the action was in response to individuals allegedly waving Hamas flags and throwing stones at security forces. “In response, the forces utilized crowd control measures to restore order and disperse the gathering,” the spokesperson said. However, CNN’s crew did not witness any Hamas flags at the site.
The three women, released from captivity earlier on Sunday, are in stable condition and under medical observation at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, hospital staff announced during a late night news conference.
“I’m happy to report that they are in stable condition,” Professor Itai Pessach, a senior member of the medical team. “That allows us and them to focus on what is the most important thing for now – reuniting with the families. We will continue to monitor all their clinical conditions. This will take a few more days until we complete all the examinations that are needed, and treat whatever we find.”
“We feel privileged to be the ones who get this tremendous honor to treat those hostages and we will continue to stay here and be prepared until the last hostage returns to Israel,” Pessach added.
Hours after Israeli hostages reunited with their families, Palestinians are still waiting for Israel to fulfill its part of the agreement to release 90 prisoners, mostly women and minors, held in Israeli jails. The delay has not been officially explained by either Israeli authorities or the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is facilitating the prisoner transfer.
According to Al Jazeera Arabic, Red Cross teams are still conducting medical examinations of the prisoners at Ofer Prison. Their families have gathered near the prison, located outside Jerusalem, to await the arrival of their friends and loved ones.
The IDF has shared a video of the moment the first three hostages released by Hamas returned to Israel.
The creation of a national government is the only solution for the future of Gaza, Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, told Al Jazeera.
“The best solution is a very clear formula that we agreed about in the Beijing agreement, which says that a national consensus government should be formed immediately,” he said.
The deal, finalized in China last July, laid the groundwork for an “interim national reconciliation government” to govern post-war Gaza. Barghouti stated that the agreement is in place and has been signed by all 14 Palestinian parties.
He emphasized the need for a body with international and regional legitimacy that is capable of organizing and supporting Gaza’s reconstruction process.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden stated on X that four more women held captive by Hamas will be released in “seven days,” confirming an earlier statement by Hamas that the next exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners is slated for next Saturday.
Biden noted that three Israeli captives would be released every seven days thereafter, and that at least two US citizens would be freed in the first phase of the deal.
After the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) announced it was moving as many aid trucks as possible through border crossings to reach Palestinians in Gaza.
“We’re trying to reach a million people as quickly as possible,” WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau told AFP. “We’re bringing in wheat flour, ready-to-eat meals, and will be working on all fronts to restock the bakeries,” he added.
He emphasized the WFP’s efforts to provide nutritional supplements to the most starving Palestinians, who have been suffering from famine due to Israeli aid restrictions. He confirmed that the agreement includes 600 trucks per day, with all crossings open. According to the WFP, the first aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings on Sunday.
A helicopter carrying the three released hostages and their mothers has departed from Re’im in southern Israel, en route to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
Upon arrival at the hospital, they will reunite with the rest of their families and receive medical care, according to the Israeli military. Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, who were reported to be in good health following their release, will receive treatment at the hospital.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called the release of a British-Israeli woman, Emily Damari, along with two other hostages, “wonderful and long-overdue news.”
“We must now see the remaining phases of the ceasefire deal implemented in full and on schedule, including the release of those remaining hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UK stands ready to do everything it can to support a permanent and peaceful solution,” Starmer stated.
The three women, released from captivity earlier on Sunday, were reunited with their mothers at a reception point near the Gaza border, the Israeli military reported.
They will undergo initial medical checks before being transferred to the hospital.
Images shared online show former hostage Emily Damari on a video call with her family after meeting her mother. According to the public broadcaster Kan, she lost two fingers during her captivity.
The Red Cross delegation has entered Israel’s Ofer Prison in the West Bank to verify the identity of the Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Al-Jazeera has reported, adding that there’s a heavy security presence around the facility.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives. In a statement on X, he said that the UN is ready to support implementation of the ceasefire and scale up deliveries of humanitarian aid to “the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer.”
“It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid,” Guterres wrote.
Footage released by the IDF captures the moment former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, after being held captive by Hamas for 471 days.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone call on Sunday that a return to Palestinian governance in Gaza is essential following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, AFP reports.
Macron’s office has said in a statement that the French president stressed that the governance should “fully incorporate the Palestinian Authority” and that the future of Gaza should contribute to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida has reaffirmed the group’s commitment to respecting the ceasefire agreement. In a televised speech, he called on mediators to ensure that Israel also adheres to the terms of the deal.
The success of the process will depend on Israel’s goodwill, Al-Jazeera quoted him as saying.
“The agreement reached could have been made a year ago if it had aligned with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s ambitions,” he said.
A list of Palestinian prisoners set for release has been issued, detailing those set to be freed in exchange for the three Israeli women, according to media reports.
The list includes 69 women and 21 men from towns and cities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Among them are two 17-year-olds – one boy and one girl – along with the youngest on the list, a 15-year-old boy from East Jerusalem.
In total, 90 prisoners are expected to be released on Sunday.
The IDF and Israeli Security Agency (ISA) have confirmed the three hostages have returned to Israeli territory.
“A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the released hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory,” the Times of Israel quoted the statement as saying.
“They are in our hands. They are coming home,” an IDF spokesman said.
Hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are now with IDF troops in Gaza, according to the Times of Israel.
They will be transported out of Gaza to a facility near the border for an initial medical checkup and psychological assistance before reuniting with their families.
"They are accompanied by IDF and ISA special forces upon their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment," the IDF said on X.
Videos posted online reportedly show the moment the three Israeli hostages – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher – arrived at the square in central Gaza City were handed over to the Red Cross. The hostages are seen walking unaided.
“The three women hostages were officially handed over to the Red Cross at al-Saraya Square in the al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza City,” a senior Hamas official told AFP.
The three hostages released by Hamas as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement have been handed over to the Red Cross, the IDF has confirmed.
The hostages are believed to be Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher.
“The Red Cross has communicated that the three Israeli hostages were transferred to them and are on their way toward IDF and Israel Securities Authority forces in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
The Israeli hostages have been transferred to the Red Cross and are now on their way to be handed over to the IDF, according to an official statement.
The handover of the Israeli hostages is underway, Reuters has reported. The transfer of three female Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has begun, a Hamas official has told the outlet.
Coaches have arrived outside Israel’s Ofer Prison in the West Bank where 90 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released by Israel, according to media reports. Crowds have gathered on the hillsides, lighting fires to keep warm as they wait, according to SkyNews.
Two coaches carrying the prisoners are expected to leave the area and travel to Ramallah, where the prisoners will be reunited with their families.
According to the Hamas Prisoners Media Office, the group includes 69 women and 21 teenage boys; of these, 76 are set to be released from the West Bank and 14 from Jerusalem.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has stated that if Hamas violates the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages agreement, the US will fully support Israel “in doing what it has to do.”
“Hamas will never govern Gaza. That is completely unacceptable,” he said in an interview with CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’.
Footage posted online shows images of Israeli military helicopters positioned and ready to receive the hostages being released from Gaza.
The IDF has announced that Israeli Air Force helicopters are prepared to transport the three Israeli hostages set to be released from Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. After an initial medical checkup at a military facility near the border, the helicopters will take them to hospitals for further care. Family members have sent personal items for them, which have been loaded on board the helicopters.
The Israeli military has reportedly paused its attacks on positions in Gaza, and Hamas has announced the names of three hostages set to be released. They are Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, according to media reports. Damari was born in Israel to an Israeli father and a British mother. She was reportedly abducted while at home in Kfar Aza near Israel’s southern border with Gaza. Gonen, from northern Israel was allegedly captured during the Supernova music festival, and Steinbrecher, a veterinary nurse who is an Israeli-Romanian dual national, was also reportedly kidnapped near the Israeli border on October 7, 2023.
The Palestinian government is scheduled to hold a meeting later on Sunday to coordinate plans for recovery and humanitarian efforts in Gaza, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports, citing Mohammed Abu al-Rob, the head of the government communications office. Representatives from the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Health, the water and energy authorities, and the Red Crescent Society are expected to take part in the meeting.
A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza has left to collect Israeli hostages from Hamas, Reuters reported, citing an official involved in the operation.
Pictures posted online show massive destruction in Rafah, in southern Gaza, as a result of IDF airstrikes over the past months.
Pope Francis has urged for the Gaza ceasefire to be “immediately respected,” expressing gratitude to the deal’s mediators, and calling on the international community to aid Israel and Palestine to “reach the right two-state solution.”
“Thanks to all the parties involved in this important outcome. I hope that, as agreed, it will be immediately respected by the parties and that all the hostages will finally be able to go home to hug their loved ones again,” he said in a statement.
“May everyone say yes to dialogue, yes to reconciliation, yes to peace,” he added.
The UN World Food Program has said on X that its aid trucks have started crossing into Gaza via the Zikim and Kerem Shalom crossings with Egypt. The trucks are loaded with flour and ready-to-eat food parcels.
“WFP aims to deliver food daily along humanitarian corridors that include Egypt, Jordan and Israel crossing points,” the agency said in the statement, which was accompanied by footage of the trucks crossing the border.
US President-elect Donald Trump has welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The Israeli Prison Service has started transferring the Palestinian prisoners from their detention centers to Ofer prison, and the Red Cross will then transfer them to the West Bank, the Palestinian news outlet Al-Quds has reported, citing sources.
“We would not have reached an agreement under these terms if Hamas had not been in such a difficult situation,” Herzi Halevi, IDF Chief of Staff said on Sunday, addressing Israeli troops.
“We are very resolute with Hamas in order to achieve the terms we want, and we will remain very resolute moving forward,” he added.
Footage published by the Ruptly news agency shows widespread destruction in Gaza as dozens of Palestinians return to their homes.
Hamas expects 90 Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel “shortly,” according to media reports, citing the group’s spokesperson. He added that under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the release of one Israeli hostage must be accompanied by the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Some 200 aid delivery trucks, including 20 loaded with fuel, have started arriving at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Reuters reported citing Egyptian sources.
RT crews have filmed Palestinian refugees returning to the city of Rafah in Southern Gaza after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 46,913 Palestinians have been killed and 110,750 wounded since Israel launched its military operation in October 2023. The majority of the victims are women, children, and the elderly.
Videos posted online show Gaza’s Civil Defence crews celebrating the ceasefire deal, waving Palestinian flags.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to overthrow the government if it does not occupy Gaza.
“I will overthrow the government if it does not return to fighting in a way that [leads to us] taking over the entire Gaza Strip and governing it,” he has told Army Radio, adding that Israel “must occupy Gaza and create a temporary military government because there is no other way to defeat Hamas.”
“The American administration has been militarily and financially supporting Israel and abusing their veto power. They have fabricated stories which have been proven to be fake and lies, we’ve all witnessed this amid the Biden administration,” Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has told RT, adding that Washington “has given Israel cover and time to the last minute” to organize the ceasefire “their own way.”
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has slammed Israel for continuing its operation in Gaza even after the terms of the ceasefire had been agreed upon.
“Unfortunately the Israeli government is struggling until the last minute in terms of the ceasefire,” he told RT.
“The agreement talked about 72 hours of calm before implementing the ceasefire agreement… And Israel is still wounding Palestinians.”
Gideon Saar has attributed delays in finalizing the ceasefire agreement to Hamas’ shifting stance on the conditions for releasing hostages.
“We hadn’t changed our minds on the conditions of the release of the hostages, Hamas did,” he stated, noting that this view is shared by US officials, who say Hamas was previously unprepared to engage in a hostage deal.
Saar expressed gratitude to both the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump for their efforts in facilitating the agreement.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says West Jerusalem is committed to achieving the goals of its operation in Gaza, including the release of all hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’ government and military capabilities.
“This war could have ended long ago if Hamas laid down its weapons and handed over our hostages... If Hamas will stay in power, the regional instability it causes might continue. We are determined to achieve the objectives of the war,” he stated at a press briefing, calling the ceasefire “temporary.”
Thailand welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Thailand welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip... Thailand calls on all sides to fully implement the deal, as well as the immediate release of all remaining hostages, including Thai nationals,” the statement read. Eight Thai nationals who were taken hostage by Hamas from Israel on October 7, 2023 are believed to still be held in Gaza.
Photos shared online show large crowds of Palestinians returning to Gaza after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into force earlier on Sunday.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said in a statement on X that it has 4,000 truckloads of humanitarian assistance carrying food and flour ready to enter Gaza.
Israel will free 90 Palestinian female prisoners on Sunday in exchange for the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas, according to media reports, citing Egypt’s state information service.
Qatar, the US, and Egypt have established a monitoring body in Cairo to ensure that Israel and Hamas adhere to the ceasefire terms.
The spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has come into effect.
“Regarding reports when the ceasefire will begin in Gaza, we confirm that the names of the 3 hostages to be released today have been handed over to the Israeli side. They are three Israeli citizens, one of whom is of Romanian nationality and the other of British nationality, and thus the ceasefire has begun,” Majed al-Ansari says.
At least 19 people were killed and 36 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza before the ceasefire took effect on Sunday morning, according to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense.
The release of three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza will take place after 16pm local time on Sunday, according to media reports citing the Israeli prime minister’s office. Four other female hostages are scheduled to be freed in seven days.
The Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has come into force at 09:15am GMT, the Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that Israel has officially received the list of hostages to be released today from Hamas. The office told the Times of Israel that the authorities are currently “checking the details” of the list.
Israel’s official X account has posted an image of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel has received the list of hostages from Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office spokesman has confirmed to TASS.
Hamas has unveiled the list of hostages to be released on Sunday. Among them are are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, a British citizen.
Hamas’ list of hostages to be released on Sunday includes the names of three women, an unnamed Israeli official told Kan broadcaster.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned in opposition to the ceasefire deal with Hamas. Two other ministers from Ben-Gvir’s right-wing Otzma Yehudit party have also handed in their resignations.
Hamas has delivered the list of hostages to Israeli authorities, Palestinian news outlet Al-Quds has reported, citing a senior source in the group.
The IDF says it struck a number of “terror targets” in northern and central Gaza on Sunday morning and is “continuing to operate” in the region amid the ceasefire delay.
At least eight Gazans have been killed in IDF strikes since the ceasefire was to take effect on Sunday morning, with many more wounded, media outlets report, citing a Hamas-run civil defense agency.
Footage posted online shows Gazans celebrating the ceasefire, despite uncertainty over its entry into force.
IDF artillery shelling has targeted the Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Palestinian TV channel Al-Quds has said in a post on X. Another attack in the Al-Shaaf neighborhood east of Gaza City has reportedly resulted in three deaths.
Israel did not give Hamas enough time to prepare the list of captives, Tamer Qarmout, associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute, has told Al Jazeera.
He noted that the group’s negotiation team in Qatar had demanded that Israel halt military operations for the last two days to allow Hamas to gather information on the whereabouts of the captives, but “Israel did not do this.”
Hamas has blamed “technical and field reasons” for the delay in giving Israel the list of hostages slated for release in a statement early on Saturday, media reports claim. The group reportedly said it remains committed to the terms of the truce.
Unconfirmed footage posted on X purports to show Israeli forces withdrawing from areas in Rafah, Gaza to the Philadelphi Corridor along the border between Egypt and Gaza.
The IDF will continue strikes in Gaza until Israel receives the list of hostages slated for release by Hamas, according to spokesman Daniel Hagari.
“As of this morning, Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations, and contrary to the agreement has not given Israel the names of the hostages,” he said.
“Per the directive of the prime minister, the ceasefire will not take effect as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations. The [Israeli military] is continuing to strike now in Gaza, as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations to the deal.”
Displaced people have started returning to their homes in northern Gaza City amid the withdrawal of IDF forces, according to videos posted online.
Israeli forces have been seen withdrawing from parts of central and eastern Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, according to CNN, citing a stringer based in the area.
The IDF has warned Palestinians in Gaza not to approach areas where the military will remain deployed at the start of the ceasefire agreement.
“We urge you not to head toward the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has not yet received the list of hostages slated for release today by Hamas.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu conducted a security assessment overnight “regarding the delay in receiving the list of hostages expected to be released.”
Netanyahu “instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is scheduled to take effect at 8:30am, will not begin until Israel has the list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has pledged to provide,” the statement from his office adds.
Under the ceasefire agreement scheduled to begin on Sunday, Hamas is expected to release 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages, including women, children, and elderly individuals. In exchange, Israel will release approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
As part of the arrangement, three female hostages are slated to be released after 4pm (14:00 GMT) on Sunday. Shortly afterwards, Israel will release around 95 Palestinian prisoners, primarily minors and women.
Hamas was supposed to provide Israel with the names of the three hostages on Saturday afternoon, but as of late Saturday night, the names were not delivered. According to the agreement, the names of the hostages will only be made public after their return and official identification.