Hamas provides list of 3 hostages after ‘technical delay’, ceasefire starts
Netanyahu said earlier that Hamas had not lived up to its commitment to provide the names of the three hostages
Hamas has named three hostages it plans to release on Sunday to seal the ceasefire deal with Israel. The Gaza ceasefire was supposed to begin at 8:30 am local time but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would keep fighting until it received the names.
The ceasefire has taken effect, according to Reuters.
The three hostages are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, who’s also a British national, according to Hamas.
Netanyahu said earlier that Hamas had not lived up to its commitment to provide the names of the three hostages it was set to release in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners.
Celebrations erupted across the war-ravaged territory, and some Palestinians began returning to their homes, even as the delay underscored the fragility of the agreement. The deal sets in motion a long and uncertain process aimed at ultimately ending the war and returning the hostages abducted in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered it.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the names of the three hostages had not been handed over when the deadline for the truce to begin passed at 8:30 a.m. local time.
According to him, the army “continues to attack, even now, inside the Gaza arena," and will until Hamas complies with the agreement.
The military later said it had struck several militant targets in northern and central Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least three people were killed early Sunday in Gaza City, in the north of the territory.
Why was there a delay from Hamas in providing the list?
Hamas had earlier blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.”
The militant group said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
The mediators had provided assurances that the list will be delivered and the deal is still expected to go forward, according to an Israeli official, the Associated Press reported. According to Reuters, the ceasefire was in effect.
On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition received a jolt when the party of Israel’s hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said its Cabinet ministers submitted their resignations from the government on Sunday in opposition to the ceasefire. The departure of the Jewish Power party weakens Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the ceasefire.
The government still holds the majority in the parliament, but only till the PM can keep all other allies with him.
(With AP inputs)
