A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages comes into force on Sunday morning, although Netanyahu issued a warning

Long awaited an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages between Hamas and Israel will take effect in less than 24 hours, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.

Qatar’s foreign minister, Majid al-Ansari, announced on X that the ceasefire will begin at 1:30am EST on Sunday, 8:30am local Gaza time. He advised people to be cautious when the agreement goes into effect and to wait for instructions from officials.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later warned that the truce would not continue unless Israel received the names of the hostages to be released, as agreed.

“Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Hamas is solely responsible,” he said in a statement.

His statement came nearly three hours after Israel expected to receive the names that Hamas was supposed to give to mediator Qatar. There was no immediate response from Hamas or Qatar.

The prime minister, addressing the nation about 12 hours before the ceasefire began, also said Israel was treating the ceasefire with Gaza as temporary and reserved the right to resume fighting if necessary. He claimed to have the support of President-elect Donald Trump, with whom he spoke on Wednesday.

Early Saturday morning local time, The Israeli government approved the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, which would lead to the release of dozens of hostages and a pause in the 15-month war with Hamas. The agreement brings the two sides one step closer to ending their the deadliest and most devastating battle ever.

“In the name of God we hope today is the last day of the war,” a displaced man from southern Gaza told CBS News.

How the ceasefire and hostage agreement works

According to a translated draft of the agreement seen by CBS News, as described by President Biden, the deal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days.

Hamas would begin releasing the hostages on the first day, initially returning three to Israel, according to a draft seen by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas will release the four hostages. Thereafter, Hamas would release three hostages taken from Israel every seven days, starting with the living and then returning the bodies of those who died.

It would release a total of 33 women and children held hostage during the first phase, as well as hostages over the age of 50, according to the draft seen by CBS News.

Mr Biden said on Wednesday that Americans would be among the hostages to be freed at this stage, but did not specify the names or how soon they would be freed.

The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas said it would not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Eli David, the brother of Eyvatar David, who has been held hostage by Hamas since the October 7, 2023 attack, told CBS News’ Remy Inocencia that he has mixed feelings as the ceasefire nears. Eyvatar should be released in the second phase.

“If they have a heart, if they can feel empathy, if they know my brother, just send him a message,” Eli David said as a message to Hamas. “Tell him that we are fighting for him, that we love him, and that we have so much hope that we know he will come home.”

The plan says that during the first phase, about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be freed, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, alive and dead. The prisoners include 1,167 Gazans who were held by Israel but were not involved in the October 7, 2023 attack. All women and children under the age of 19 from Israel-held Gaza will be freed during this phase.

According to the truce plan, approved by the government and signed by Israel’s national security adviser, the exchange will begin at 9 a.m. EST on Sunday. During each exchange, Israel will release the captives once the hostages have arrived safely.

Rocket attacks continue as help is on the way

Despite news of a ceasefire, sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday and the military said it had intercepted missiles fired from Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up their rocket attacks in recent weeks. The group says the attacks are part of its campaign to pressure Israel and the West over the Gaza war.

Israeli attacks on Gaza also continued. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least 23 people had been killed the previous day.

Also, during the first phase, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw to a buffer zone about a kilometer (0.6 miles) wide inside Gaza, along its border with Israel.

This will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, including Gaza City and northern Gaza. With most of Gaza’s population crammed into huge, squalid tent camps, Palestinians are desperate to return to their homes, even though many have been destroyed or badly damaged by Israel’s campaign.

Largely ravaged territory should also see an increase humanitarian aid. Aid trucks lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

On Saturday, two Egyptian government ministers arrived in the northern Sinai Peninsula to oversee preparations for the delivery of aid and await the evacuation of wounded patients, the health ministry said.

Hamas caused the war on October 7, 2023a cross-border attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people died and about 250 were captured. Almost 100 hostages remained in Gaza.

Israel responded with a devastating offensive 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.