The much-anticipated ceasefire agreement officially went into effect at 11:15 local time (9:15 GMT), following last-minute delays. Hamas named three hostages—Doron Steinbrecher, 31; dual British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, 28; and Romi Gonen, 24—as the first to be released later today, after 14:00 GMT, under the initial phase of the agreement.
The ceasefire deal includes the release of a total of 33 hostages over six weeks.
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A combination image shows a woman holding a cutout picture of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, in Tel Aviv, Israel March 14, 2024 (L) and undated handout images of Israeli hostage Doron Steinbrecher (C) and Israeli hostage Romi Gonen (R), who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. REUTERS/Tomer Appelbaum, Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS, Gonen Family/Handout via REUTERS
Steinbrecher and Damari were abducted from their kibbutz, while Gonen was taken from the Supernova Festival in October 2023. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
❤️🎗️
We are waiting for each and every one of you. pic.twitter.com/hys5TbvqU8
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) January 19, 2025
The ceasefire, originally scheduled for 6:30 GMT, faced nearly three hours of delays during which Israeli airstrikes killed 13 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Civil Emergency.
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A mourner sits next to the body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli strike, following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in Gaza City, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Israel attributed the delay to Hamas’s failure to submit the list of the first hostages to be released. Hamas, however, cited unspecified “technical reasons” for the delay. A Palestinian official claimed the delay stemmed from mediators requesting 48 hours of calm before the ceasefire, which was complicated by continued Israeli strikes.
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Displaced Palestinians make their way past rubble, as they attempt to return to their homes, following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in the northern Gaza Strip January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ramzi
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Displaced Palestinians walk past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes, following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Displaced Palestinians walk past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes, following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in the northern Gaza Strip, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Humanitarian Assistance on Standby
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is poised to enter Gaza as thousands of displaced Palestinians begin returning home. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has prepared 4,000 truckloads of supplies, with half carrying food and flour.
UNRWA has 4,000 truckloads of aid ready to enter #Gaza — half of them carry food and flour.
Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip could decline as humanitarian relief comes in following a #ceasefire, says @UNLazzarini.https://t.co/yRt1NxWuXS
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 19, 2025
“We are now waiting for the day we head back to our home in Gaza City, whether damaged or not. It doesn’t matter; the nightmare of death and starvation is over,” Aya Mohammad, a 31-year-old displaced Palestinian in Deir Al-Balah, told Reuters.
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A displaced Palestinian makes his way past rubble, as Palestinians attempt to return to their homes, following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
According to Reuters, the ceasefire deal terms include the following:
Hamas
- Release 33 Israeli hostages, prioritizing women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50.
- Female and under-19 hostages will be released first, with men over 50 to follow.
- Three female hostages will be released through the Red Cross after 14:00 GMT on Sunday.
- Hostages will be released over six weeks, with three hostages per week and all remaining hostages, living or deceased, released before the period ends.
Israel
- Release 30 Palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage and 50 for every Israeli female soldier released by Hamas.
- Release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained since October 7, 2023, during the first phase.
- Total Palestinian releases could range between 990 and 1,650 individuals, including men, women, and children, depending on the number of hostages freed.
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Members of the Palestinian civil emergency service celebrate despite a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in Gaza City, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Palestinians hug each other before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect, in Gaza City, January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas