Jerusalem, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military not to initiate the Gaza ceasefire, until Hamas provides the list of captives to be released.
His office issued a statement confirming that the ceasefire will not go into effect until the list of abductees promised by Hamas is received.
Hamas, in turn, blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons” but affirmed its commitment to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
Despite the delay, international pressure on both parties makes it likely that the ceasefire will still be implemented, with Qatar expected to push Hamas to comply with the deal.
This latest development follows Netanyahu’s speech, in which he stated that Israel retains the right to resume military operations in Gaza if the second phase of the ceasefire proves ineffective.
The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire is expected to result in the release of 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, along with a humanitarian aid surge in Gaza. The ceasefire will also involve Israeli forces retreating to a buffer zone and the return of many displaced Palestinians to their homes.
The ceasefire agreement marks the second major pause in the ongoing war, expected to be more consequential than the week-long pause that occurred a year ago.
The second phase of negotiations, which will tackle the release of nearly 100 remaining hostages, is expected to begin in just over two weeks. A major question remains whether hostilities will resume after the six-week first phase ends.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire early on Saturday in a rare session during the Jewish Sabbath, more than two days after mediators first announced the deal.
The ceasefire was heavily influenced by pressure from both the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach an agreement before the US presidential inauguration on Monday, January 20th.
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