The sides have agreed to a prisoner exchange amid a humanitarian truce in the deadly 15-month conflict © Amir Levy / Getty Images The long-awaited Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into force at 09:15 GMT on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced on X. The truce, which was initially set to start three hours earlier, had been delayed due to Hamas’ failure to provide West Jerusalem with a list of hostages to be released later the same day as part of the first round of prisoner swaps. Hamas attributed the delay in providing the list of names to “technical and field reasons.” Netanyahu’s office has confirmed it had received the list minutes before announcing the ceasefire. The Israeli military continued operations in Gaza while awaiting the list. Gaza’s civil defense agency earlier reported that Israeli strikes killed at least nineteen people and injured more than 25 on Sunday morning. Despite the delay in the ceasefire, thousands of Gazans took to the streets to celebrate and began returning to their homes. Israel and Hamas reached a deal earlier this week to halt the 15-month conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties and extensive destruction in Gaza. The agreement, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, will be implemented in three phases, with the initial stage lasting six weeks. 19 January 2025 17:27 GMT The Red Cross delegation has entered Israel’s Ofer Prison in the West Bank to verify the identity of the Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Al-Jazeera has reported, adding that there’s a heavy security presence around the facility. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives. In a statement on X, he said that the UN is ready to support implementation of the ceasefire and scale up deliveries of humanitarian aid to “the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer.” “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid,” Guterres wrote. Footage released by the IDF captures the moment former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, after being held captive by Hamas for 471 days. Source: X/idfonline French President Emmanuel Macron told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone call on Sunday that a return to Palestinian governance in Gaza is essential following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, AFP reports. Macron’s office has said in a statement that the French president stressed that the governance should “fully incorporate the Palestinian Authority” and that the future of Gaza should contribute to the creation of a Palestinian state. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida has reaffirmed the group’s commitment to respecting the ceasefire agreement. In a televised speech, he called on mediators to ensure that Israel also adheres to the terms of the deal. The success of the process will depend on Israel’s goodwill, Al-Jazeera quoted him as saying. “The agreement reached could have been made a year ago if it had aligned with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s ambitions,” he said. A list of Palestinian prisoners set for release has been issued, detailing those set to be freed in exchange for the three Israeli women, according to media reports. The IDF and Israeli Security Agency (ISA) have confirmed the three hostages have returned to Israeli territory. “A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the released hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory,” the Times of Israel quoted the statement as saying. “They are in our hands. They are coming home,” an IDF spokesman said. Hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are now with IDF troops in Gaza, according to the Times of Israel. “They are accompanied by IDF and ISA special forces upon their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the IDF said on X.
The list includes 69 women and 21 men from towns and cities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Among them are two 17-year-olds – one boy and one girl – along with the youngest on the list, a 15-year-old boy from East Jerusalem.
In total, 90 prisoners are expected to be released on Sunday.
They will be transported out of Gaza to a facility near the border for an initial medical checkup and psychological assistance before reuniting with their families.
Videos posted online reportedly show the moment the three Israeli hostages – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher – arrived at the square in central Gaza City were handed over to the Red Cross. The hostages are seen walking unaided.
“The three women hostages were officially handed over to the Red Cross at al-Saraya Square in the al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza City,” a senior Hamas official told AFP.
#Hamas hands 3 #hostages to Red Cross in #Gazaالقسام تفرج عن #اسيرات اسرائيليات #رهائنpic.twitter.com/EvMBZs9nwK
— Rita khoury (@ritakhoury10) January 19, 2025
The three hostages released by Hamas as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement have been handed over to the Red Cross, the IDF has confirmed.
The hostages are believed to be Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher.
“The Red Cross has communicated that the three Israeli hostages were transferred to them and are on their way toward IDF and Israel Securities Authority forces in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Posters of hostages Emily Tehila Damari, Romi Gonen and Daniella Gilboa are hung at Hostage Square after a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal was reached on January 16, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. © Noam Galai / Getty Images
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