The long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has officially begun, although it was delayed by nearly three hours. The ceasefire was initially scheduled to start at 08:30 (06:30 GMT). Still, a hold-up occurred after Hamas did not provide the names of the first Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas later attributed the delay to “technical reasons”. During this delay, the Israeli military conducted strikes on what it described as “terror targets” in Gaza, killing 19 Palestinians. The ceasefire finally took effect at 11:15 after Israel received the names of the hostages. Qatar, which has acted as a mediator, confirmed that the hostages include British-Israeli and Romanian-Israeli dual nationals.

Hamas identified the three hostages to be released as Romi Gonen, aged 24, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a Romanian citizen, and Emily Damari, 28, who is the only British national remaining in captivity after 15 months of conflict. While the Israeli government has not yet verified the names, it confirmed that these women are part of a group of 33 Israeli hostages to be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners during the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which will last for six weeks. This deal also includes provisions for Israeli forces to pull back from Gaza’s densely populated areas, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and the allowance of hundreds of aid convoys to enter Gaza each day.

Looking ahead, the second phase of the deal is set to begin on the 16th day. It will focus on the full release of the remaining hostages, a total Israeli military withdrawal, and the “restoration of sustainable calm” to the region. The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza, a process expected to take years, as well as the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any ceasefire would be “temporary”, emphasising that Israel retains the right to resume military action with US support if the ceasefire fails. Since the war’s onset in October 2023, over 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and millions remain displaced amid widespread destruction and severe shortages of essential supplies.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli military announced that special forces had recovered the body of Staff Sgt Oron Shaul, an Israeli soldier who was killed in the 2014 war in Gaza.