Hamas set to release first hostages under Gaza ceasefire deal on Sunday, Israel says

The militant organization Hamas is anticipated to free the initial hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement on Sunday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Friday, following 15 months of conflict that devastated the region.

If achieved, the ceasefire would stop the combat that has devastated much of densely populated Gaza, claiming over 46,000 lives, and displacing the majority of the enclave’s 2.3 million pre-war residents multiple times, as reported by local officials. It might also reduce tensions in the Middle East, where the conflict in Gaza expanded to involve Iran and its allies; Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and militia groups in Iraq.

During the initial six-week phase of the three-stage agreement, Hamas will free 33 Israeli hostages, which includes all women (both soldiers and civilians), children, and men aged over 50.

Israel will free all Palestinian women and minors under 19 held in Israeli prisons by the conclusion of the initial phase. The overall number of Palestinians freed will rely on the number of hostages let go, and may range from 990 to 1,650, encompassing men, women, and children. Hamas announced on Friday that issues concerning the conditions of the Gaza ceasefire deal have been addressed.

In Gaza, Israeli warplanes continued their heavy bombardment, and the Civil Emergency Service reported on Friday that at least 101 individuals, including 58 women and children, had died since the agreement was revealed on Wednesday. Israel’s agreement to the deal will not be formal until it receives approval from the nation’s security cabinet and government.

In the early morning on Friday, Netanyahu’s office announced that Israel’s security cabinet will convene to grant final approval for the ceasefire agreement, after the meeting was postponed from Thursday, sparking worries about potential delays.

A complete cabinet meeting is scheduled for later, though the exact timing remains uncertain.Israel held Hamas responsible for the last-minute delay, while Hamas stated on Thursday that it is dedicated to the agreement, which is expected to be implemented on Sunday. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was updated by the negotiating team that a deal has been settled for the release of the hostages,” his office mentioned in a statement.

Highlighting the possible challenges to achieving a lasting ceasefire, hardliners within Netanyahu’s coalition have resisted the agreement, viewing it as a surrender to Hamas, which governs Gaza, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to step down if it is sanctioned. Nevertheless, he asserted that he would not topple the government.

His compatriot hardliner, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has similarly warned of leaving the government if it does not resume war to conquer Hamas after the initial six-week phase of the ceasefire concludes.

However, most ministers were anticipated to support the agreement.

On Friday, the airstrikes persisted in Gaza. Following a strike on tents sheltering displaced individuals, a boy sifted through ruined belongings on the ground, which was strewn with canned goods and coffee pots.  According to medical sources, that assault resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injured seven more at a campsite near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

In Khan Younis as well, mourners assembled around the corpse of a man who died in an Israeli attack while women embraced one another and wept.  “Life has turned into an intolerable nightmare,” stated local resident Jomaa Abed al-Aal.

Israel reports that 98 hostages remain captive in Gaza. Approximately half are thought to be living. They consist of both Israelis and non-Israelis. Out of the total, 94 were captured during the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, while four have been detained in Gaza since 2014.

For the first time, Israeli officials have formally notified the families of hostages about the names of the first 33 individuals to be freed, but it is still uncertain how many individuals on the list are alive. A coalition speaking for families of Israeli captives in Gaza called on Netanyahu to act swiftly.

“For the 98 captives, every evening is yet another night of horrific torment.” “Do not postpone their return for even a single additional night,” the group stated in a declaration late on Thursday reported by Israeli media. The ceasefire agreement was reached on Wednesday with the help of mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. In addition to facilitating the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the pact entails a gradual pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza.

It also opens the door for an increase in humanitarian assistance for the coastal area, where most of the residents have been uprooted, confronting hunger, illness, and cold. Israel initiated its offensive in Gaza following an attack by Hamas-affiliated gunmen who invaded Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 soldiers and civilians and the abduction of more than 250 hostages, as per Israeli reports.