The long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reportedly went into effect on Sunday morning after the Palestinian terror group delayed publishing a list of hostages to be released, but the names were finally released about three hours later. revealed.
The terrorist organization announced early Sunday morning that Romi Gonen, Emily Damali and Doron Steinbrecher would be released from custody today under an agreement with Israeli authorities, The Times of Israel reported. did.
The newspaper said Israeli authorities confirmed they had obtained the names but said it was not clear when the women would be released.
A cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas almost came to an end on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the militants of failing to fulfill the purpose of the deal by not releasing the names of prisoners who were scheduled to be released before the deal was signed. It was about to collapse. I was going to start.
The delay prompted Israel to launch an offensive in the Gaza Strip, reportedly resulting in several deaths.
Israel said the agreement entered into force as of 11:15 a.m. local time (just after 4 a.m. ET).
The hostages are the first of 33 women, children and men under 50 to be released by Hamas in the first phase of a three-phase agreement the Jewish state formally signed with the terror group in Doha on Thursday night. becomes.
The three civilian women who were scheduled to be released were each taken hostage when a terrorist organization attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Gonen, 23, was shot in the arm and abducted by Hamas terrorists at the Nova Music Festival. Her family, which advocated for her release, described her as “one of the funniest girls I know” and said she was beloved by friends and customers at the upscale Tel Aviv restaurant where she waitressed. .
Damari and Steinbrecher, 30, both dual British nationals, were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Azha.
Damari, 28, is the only British hostage still being held.
The women's release came despite Hamas threatening to derail a cease-fire agreement after the terror group did not release the names of the hostages it was scheduled to release on Sunday.
In exchange for their release, Israel will take hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and all those held in Israeli prisons during a six-week suspension of fighting in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. of Palestinian women and children are expected to be released. After October 7, 2023.
Israel's cabinet approved the high-stakes deal early Saturday morning after several hours of deliberations late into the night.
The green light comes after last-minute hurdles on Thursday that nearly derailed the deal, including government infighting and what Netanyahu called a “last-minute intimidation attempt” by Hamas that led to the postponement of a ministerial security vote, were overcome by Israeli officials. was issued after the issue was resolved.
President-elect Donald Trump's tough approach to foreign policy is diluted by Netanyahu after the commander-in-chief promised that “all hell will break loose” if a cease-fire agreement is not reached by Monday's inauguration. This provided motivation for the realization of a foreign policy. Sources previously told the Post the deal was on track.
In addition to releasing Palestinian prisoners, a third of the approximately 100 remaining hostages (only about 60 of whom are thought to be alive), Israel will also provide food and medical supplies in the first phase. Much-needed humanitarian aid is scheduled to flow into Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces plan to withdraw to a buffer zone near the border with the Jewish state to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the territory.
The second phase of the deal, which begins 16 days after the ceasefire, is riddled with details that will bog down both sides of the negotiations.
Under the terms of the agreement, Israel is to withdraw all its forces from Gaza, but will not do so until the military and political forces of Hamas are completely eradicated.
Meanwhile, Hamas plans to return all remaining hostages, but the terrorist group has refused because Israeli forces remain in Gaza.
On Saturday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a 10-minute video address that the ceasefire in the first phase of the deal was a “temporary truce” and that if both sides were unable to attack, Israel would seek U.S. support to resume fighting in Gaza. He said he was getting it. The deadlock between the two sides regarding the second phase of the agreement was resolved.
“If we have to restart the fight, we will do so in a new way and with much greater force,” he exclaimed.
The third and final phase will see both sides return the remains of hostages and prisoners of war, beginning years of extensive reconstruction in the devastated Palestinian territory.
The devastating conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when terrorists and their allies massacred approximately 1,200 people in Israel in a surprise attack and took another 250 hostages.
This is the first cessation of fighting in Gaza since November 2023, when a brief ceasefire was reached during a temporary ceasefire agreement.
Both President Biden and Trump have claimed credit for this week's seemingly impossible three-phase deal announced Wednesday night, but the current administration has been pushing for it for months to no avail. Ta.
Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, has been hailed as a key figure in the breakthrough. A senior Biden official previously told Reuters that Witkoff pressured the Israeli leader to accept the deal and “set everything in motion” during a meeting with Netanyahu last week.
