The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is expected to come into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Majid al-Ansari urged people to exercise caution when the ceasefire comes into effect and wait for instructions from authorities. This is the second ceasefire achieved during the war.
The Israeli cabinet approved a Gaza ceasefire deal early Saturday morning that would include the release of dozens of hostages and a pause in the war with Hamas that began after the terrorist group’s attack on the state Jewish on October 7, 2023.
The deal would allow the release of 33 hostages over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages should be released in a second phase which will be negotiated during the first.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOSTAGES AND CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS SET TO BEGIN SUNDAY
A young girl stops in front of a mural depicting female Israeli soldiers detained by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, January 17, 2025. It reads in Hebrew: “Look into their eyes” . (PA)
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from Israel.
But questions remain about the ceasefire, including who the 33 hostages are expected to be freed in the first six-week phase and which of them are still alive.
Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day, and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.
Israel’s Justice Ministry has published a list of more than 700 Palestinian detainees expected to be released during the first phase of the deal. The Justice Ministry said the release would not begin until 4 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Muslim women carry a poster as they ride motorcycles during a rally celebrating the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, January 18, 2025. (PA)
This is the second ceasefire achieved during the war.
Israeli forces also announced Saturday morning that their air force had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, just before the expected ceasefire.
Gaza should receive an increase in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid were seen lined up on Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.
Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and hostage release agreement concluded: “the Americans will be part of it”
People gather to celebrate a long-awaited ceasefire that would end fighting in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, January 16, 2025 in Paris. (PA)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The 15-month war in Gaza began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others kidnapped, provoking military retaliation from the forces Israelis. Nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive, according to local health officials in the Hamas-led government, who do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
