Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning, January 19 told the Israeli Defense Forces that the cease-fire agreement with Hamas will not begin on Sunday as agreed unless Hamas puts out the names of Israeli hostages to be released.
Netanyahu said as Hamas has not yet given the names of the hostages, the IDF will continue to operate, as it is still striking inside Gaza.
The agreement was set to go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time, and Hamas had said it would provide the list of hostages. But the cease-fire remains on hold as Israel waits for the list of hostages to be freed.
Hamas said the delay in providing the names was due to “technical field reasons” and added that it is committed to the cease-fire deal announced last week.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early Saturday morning for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and pause the war with Hamas that began after the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State.
The deal would allow 33 hostages to be set free over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages are set to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.
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.
At least eight Gazans have been killed in IDF strikes since the cease-fire was set to begin, according to a Hamas-run agency.
“As of this morning, Hamas has not fulfilled its obligation, and contrary to the agreement, has not provided the State of Israel with the names of the returning female hostages up to this time. The ceasefire will not come into effect as long as Hamas does not fulfill its obligations,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting cease-fire and a full Israeli withdrawal. This is the second cease-fire deal achieved during the war.
Gaza is expected to receive a surge in humanitarian aid when the cease-fire begins.
The 15-month-long war in Gaza started when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 others were abducted, prompting military retaliation from Israeli forces. Nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s offensive, according to the Hamas-run government’s local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
