Israel Delays Cease-fire Pending Hostage List from Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security briefing to address the delay in receiving the list of hostages slated for release Sunday morning as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The Prime Minister informed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that the ceasefire would not commence until this list is provided. With Hamas failing to deliver the names, the IDF continues its operations within Gaza. A Hamas-run news agency reports at least eight Gazans have died in IDF strikes since the ceasefire’s scheduled start.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated, “As of this morning, Hamas has not met its obligation and, contrary to the agreement, has not provided the State of Israel with the names of the female hostages. The ceasefire will not take effect until Hamas fulfills its commitments.”

The agreement, initially scheduled for Sunday, was contingent upon Hamas supplying the hostage list. However, the ceasefire remains stalled pending this information. Hamas attributed the delay to “technical field reasons,” while affirming its commitment to the ceasefire deal announced last week.

Early Saturday morning, Israel approved a Gaza ceasefire agreement encompassing the release of dozens of hostages and a temporary halt to the conflict with Hamas, which began after the October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel.

The deal outlines the phased release of 33 hostages over six weeks, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The remaining hostages’ release is slated for a second phase, to be negotiated during the first phase. Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day, four on the seventh, and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.

Hamas has stipulated that the remaining hostages will not be released without a lasting ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal. This marks the second ceasefire achieved during the ongoing conflict.

Significant humanitarian aid is expected upon the ceasefire’s commencement.

The current conflict, lasting 15 months, began with Hamas’s surprise attack on October 7th, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of around 250 people, prompting Israeli military retaliation. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza. According to Hamas-run health officials, over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive; these figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.