Which is long awaited Ceasefire and hostage release agreement The Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the agreement between Hamas and Israel will enter into force in less than 24 hours.
Qatari Foreign Minister Majid Al Ansari posted on Channel He advised people to be cautious when the agreement enters into force and to wait for the directions of officials.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later warned that the ceasefire would not go ahead unless Israel obtained the names of the hostages to be released, as agreed upon.
He said in a statement, “Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Only Hamas is responsible.”
His statement came approximately three hours after Israel expected to receive the names that Hamas was scheduled to present to the mediator, Qatar. There was no immediate response from Hamas or Qatar.
Speaking to the nation about 12 hours before the ceasefire began, the Prime Minister said that Israel was treating the ceasefire with Gaza as temporary and reserved the right to continue fighting if necessary. He claimed to have the support of President-elect Donald Trump, whom he said he spoke to on Wednesday.
Tsafrir Abayov / A.B
Early Saturday morning local time, The Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement In Gaza, this would see the release of dozens of hostages and an end to the 15-month-old war with Hamas. The agreement brings the two sides a step closer to ending their relationship The bloodiest and most destructive fight ever.
“We hope in the name of God that today is the last day of the war,” a displaced man from southern Gaza told CBS News.
How a ceasefire and hostage agreement works
According to a translated draft of the agreement seen by CBS News, and as described by President Biden, the deal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days.
Hamas will begin releasing the hostages on the first day, returning three of them to Israel initially, according to the draft seen by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas will release four hostages. After that, Hamas will release three hostages from Israel every seven days, starting with the living and then moving on to returning the bodies of the dead.
The draft seen by CBS News said it would release 33 women and children hostages during the first phase, in addition to hostages over the age of 50.
Maya Aleruso/AP
Biden said on Wednesday that Americans would be among the hostages released at this stage, but he did not specify any names or when they would be released.
The remaining hostages, including the male soldiers, are scheduled to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first phase. Hamas said it would not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal.
Eli David, the brother of Ivatar David, who has been held hostage by Hamas since the attack on October 7, 2023, told CBS News’ Remy Inocencio that he has mixed feelings as the ceasefire approaches. Eyvatar is scheduled to be launched in the second phase.
As a message to Hamas, Eli David said: “If they have a heart, if they can feel empathy, if they know my brother, just send him a message.” “Tell him that we are fighting for him, that we love him, and that we hope to know that he will come home.”
The plan says that during the first phase, about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, alive and dead. Among the prisoners are 1,167 Gazans who were detained by Israel but did not participate in the October 7, 2023 attack. All women and children under the age of 19 from Gaza held by Israel will be released during this phase.
According to the ceasefire plan, approved by the Cabinet and signed by the Israeli National Security Advisor, the exchange will begin on Sunday at 9 a.m. EST. During each exchange, Israel will release the prisoners after the hostages arrive safely.
The missile strikes continue while aid is on the way
Despite news of a ceasefire, sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday, and the army said it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthis have intensified their missile attacks in recent weeks. The movement says the attacks are part of its campaign to pressure Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.
Israeli raids on Gaza also continued. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least 23 people were killed the previous day.
Also during the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw to a buffer zone about one kilometer (0.6 mile) wide inside Gaza, along its border with Israel.
Daoud Abu Al-Kass/Anadolu via Getty Images
This will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, including in Gaza City and North Gaza. With most of Gaza’s population forced to live in huge, dirty camps, Palestinians are desperate to return to their homes, even though many of them have been destroyed or severely damaged by the Israeli campaign.
The largely devastated area should also see their numbers rise Humanitarian aid. Trucks loaded with aid lined up on Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
The Ministry of Health said that two Egyptian government ministers arrived on Saturday in the northern Sinai Peninsula to supervise preparations for delivering aid and receiving the evacuation of patients.
Hamas ignited the war with its decision on October 7, 2023A cross-border attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 others. There are still approximately 100 hostages in Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating attack that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half of the dead.