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Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The first phase of the ceasefire is set to begin at 11:15 AM, following a delay due to Hamas’ late submission of the list of three hostages who are to be released today, January 19. Initially, the ceasefire was planned to begin at 8:30 AM, but it was postponed due to the delay. After Hamas submitted the list, the Israeli military resumed strikes on Gaza.
The families of the hostages have also been informed.
Earlier, on the evening of January 15, media reports indicated that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of all Israeli hostages, which was later confirmed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
On January 16, Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams signed an agreement in Doha for a ceasefire and hostage release, pending approval by the Israeli government.
Israel’s military operation in Gaza began in response to a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 253 hostages.
Palestinian health authorities reported that over 46,600 people have died in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, with most identified victims being women, children, or the elderly. Israel disputes these figures, claiming manipulation of the data.
According to Israel, 405 IDF soldiers have been killed in combat since the start of the ground operation in Gaza.
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