The truce between Hamas and Israel is expected to take effect at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Qatari Foreign Minister Majid al-Ansari urged people to be cautious when the ceasefire comes into effect and to wait for instructions from officials. This is the second ceasefire reached during the war.
Israeli cabinet approved a deal early Saturday morning for a ceasefire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and a pause in the war with Hamas that began after the terrorist group’s October 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish state.
The deal would see the release of 33 hostages over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians jailed by Israel. The remaining hostages will be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
A girl pauses at a mural of female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. The Hebrew reads: “look them in the eyes.” (AP)
Hamas said it would not release the remaining hostages without a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
But questions remain about the ceasefire, including the identities of the 33 hostages expected to be freed during the first, six-week phase and which of them are still alive.
Hamas agreed to release three hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
Israel’s Ministry of Justice has released a list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the first phase of the deal. The Justice Department said the release would not begin until Sunday at 4 p.m. local time.
Muslim women carry a placard while riding motorcycles during a rally celebrating the announcement of a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP)
This is the second ceasefire reached during the war.
Israeli forces also announced Saturday morning that its air force had intercepted the missile launched from Yemenjust before the expected ceasefire.
Gaza is expected to receive an increase in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid were seen lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Friday.
People gather to celebrate a long-awaited ceasefire to end fighting in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
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For the duration of 15 months the war in Gaza it began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and approximately 250 others were kidnapped, prompting a military retaliation by Israeli forces. Almost 100 hostages remained imprisoned in Gaza.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health officials of the Hamas-run government, who do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
