The Gaza ceasefire has officially begun after an almost three-hour delay, with three hostages set to be released on Sunday.
They include British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, 28, who was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, as well as Romi Gonen, 24, who was ambushed as she tried to escape from the Supernova Festival.
Veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher, 31, who was in her apartment in southern Israel when Hamas attacked is also set for release.
At least eight Palestinians have been killed and 25 others injured, medics in Gaza have said, while the ceasefire was delayed.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military not to start the ceasefire in Gaza as he demanded the list of hostages to be freed, throwing the truce in limbo just an hour before it was to begin.
Israel has been demanding the list of 33 hostages who will be released by Hamas in the first phase.
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
Israel’s government ratified the truce with Hamas on Saturday morning, paving the way for an end to the war in the Palestinian territory after 15 months of devastating fighting that has left over 46,000 Gazans dead.
Key Points
- Breaking: Gaza ceasefire now in effect
- Hamas says Israel will submit list of 90 Palestinian prisoners to be freed
- British citizen Emily Damari among hostages to be released on Sunday
- ‘Ceasefire only temporary’ warns Netanyahu
- Israel approves ceasefire deal
- Israel says 737 prisoners to be released in first phase of truce deal
Who are the 33 Israeli hostages set to be released under first phase of Gaza ceasefire?
12:13
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Holly Evans
The long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza has come into effect after a delay in the list of 33 Israeli hostages due to be freed threatened to derail the truce.
Fighting finally stopped after an almost three-hour delay on Sunday, which saw continued airstrikes kill eight Palestinians and injure 25 others, according to medics in Gaza.
However peace began at 9.15am UK time, with the first three hostages set to be freed after 2pm.
Read the full article here:
Fighting halts in Gaza as ceasefire takes effect after brief delay
12:00
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Holly Evans
Fighting in the Gaza Strip halted on Sunday as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas took effect after a brief delay, pausing a 15-month-old war that has brought devastation and seismic political change to the Middle East.
Residents and a medical worker in Gaza said they had heard no new fighting or military strikes since about half an hour before it was finally implemented.
Israeli airstrikes, artillery and tank attacks continued in northern Gaza after the initial deadline of 6:30am GMT, Gaza-based paramedics said, killing at least 13 Palestinians and wounding dozens more before the ceasefire actually took effect at 9:15am GMT.
Israel’s military said it had carried out air and artillery strikes against “terror targets”.
Families of hostages welcome ‘exciting news’ of three releases
11:48
,
Holly Evans
In a press release, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the “exciting news” that three of the female hostages would be released on Sunday.
They described Romi Gonen, 24, as an “energetic, funny, family-oriented and full of life” individual, who had enjoyed dancing and travelling before she was kidnapped from the Nova Festival. She has four siblings and two parents, Meirav and Eitan, who are anxiously awaiting her release.
Also to be released is 31-year-old veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher from Kfar Gaza, who loves sports and running, and had cared for animals since childhood. “Her family describes her as a devoted aunt who is especially loved by her nephews,” they said.
British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari is the third hostage to be released, who has been described as “well-loved and popular, a friend to everyone”. She is a central figure in the local Kfar Aza youth community and enjoys karaoke nights and barbecuing. She was captured alongside two friends who remain in captivity.
War in Gaza has killed at least 47,913 Palestinians
11:27
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Holly Evans
Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,913 Palestinians and injured 110,750 since October 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry said in an update on Sunday.
The highly anticipated ceasefire deal could help usher in an end to the Gaza war, which began after Hamas, which controls the tiny coastal territory, attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s response has reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
Hamas says Israel will submit list of 90 Palestinian prisoners to be freed on Sunday
11:13
,
Holly Evans
Hamas said Israel is set to hand over a list with the names of 90 Palestinian prisoners to be released on Sunday in exchange for three Israeli female hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
In a statement, Hamas said the prisoners, to be released on the first day of the ceasefire in Gaza’s 15-month-old war, included women and children.
Palestinians celebrate in the streets across Gaza as ceasefire begins
11:03
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Holly Evans
Thousands of Palestinians burst into the streets across Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday, some in celebration, others to visit the graves of relatives, while many rushed back to their homes.
“I feel like at last I found some water to drink after getting lost in the desert for 15 months. I feel alive again,” Aya, a displaced woman from Gaza City, who has been sheltering in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip for over a year, told Reuters via a chat app.
Armed Hamas fighters drove through the southern city of Khan Younis, with crowds cheering and chanting, despite an almost three hour delay in the implementation of the agreement, which follows 15 months of devastating conflict.
Hamas policemen, dressed in blue police uniform, deployed in some areas after months of trying to keep out of sight to avoid Israeli airstrikes.
People who had gathered to cheer the fighters chanted “Greetings to Al-Qassam Brigades.”
“All the resistance factions are staying in spite of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu,” one fighter told Reuters, referring to Hamas armed wing.
“This is a ceasefire, a full and comprehensive one God willing, and there will be no return to war in spite of him.”
200 aid trucks arrive at Kerem Shalom crossing to enter Gaza
10:49
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Holly Evans
Two Egyptian sources have said that 200 aid trucks have arrived at the Kerem Shalom cross ahead of entry into Gaza.
At least 20 of these trucks are carrying fuel, while the UNRWA previously said that half were carrying food and flour.
4,000 aid truckloads ready to enter Gaza
10:27
,
Holly Evans
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it has 4,000 truckloads of humanitarian assistance ready to enter the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on X, UNRWA said half of them carry food and flour.
UNRWA has 4,000 truckloads of aid ready to enter #Gaza — half of them carry food and flour.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 19, 2025
Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip could decline as humanitarian relief comes in following a #ceasefire, says @UNLazzarini.https://t.co/yRt1NxWuXS
Live: Israeli Foreign Minister holding news conference
10:19
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Holly Evans
‘Regional instability might continue’ if Hamas stay in power, Israeli minister says
10:18
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Holly Evans
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has told reporters at a news conference in Jerusalem that there is no future stability or security for both sides if Hamas stay in power.
“I want to make it clear that Israel is committed to achieve all the goals of the war that the security cabinet determined, that includes a return of all our hostages and the dismantling of Hamas,” he says.
“This war could have ended long ago if Hamas laid down its weapons and handed over our hostages.”
He says if Hamas stays in power the “regional instability might continue” in Gaza and stressed that what happens now is a “temporary ceasefire”.
Read the full story: Gaza ceasefire begins as Hamas names hostages to be released
10:06
,
Holly Evans
Hamas has named the three female hostages it plans to release on Sunday, clearing the way for the Gaza ceasefire to begin after a shaky several hour delay.
The fragile long-awaited agreement, brokered by the US and Qatar, was expected to come into effect at 8:30 am local time and pave the way for the end of 15 months of ruinous war. Under the first six-week phase, it would see the release of 33 hostages, including a British-Israeli citizen, as well as hundreds of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
However, moments before the truce, the Israeli premier accused the Palestinian militant group of not living up to its commitments by failing to provide the names of the three hostages due to be released later in the day.
Read the full article from our chief international correspondent Bel Trew here:
13 Palestinians killed during hours of ceasefire delay, Palestinian medics say
09:58
,
Holly Evans
Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks killed 13 Palestinians between 6:30am GMT, when the ceasefire was meant to begin, and 9:15am GMT, when it actually took effect, Palestinian medics said.
Israel blamed Hamas for the delay after the Palestinian militant group failed to provide a list naming the first three hostages to be released under the deal.
Hamas attributed the delay to “technical” reasons, without specifying what those were.
A Palestinian official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delay occurred because mediators had asked for 48 hours of “calm” before the ceasefire’s implementation, but continued Israeli strikes right up until the deadline had made it difficult to send the list.
My cousin is on the hostage list for release by Hamas – I hope he will still be alive
09:48
,
Holly Evans
On Sunday the world will watch as the first group of hostages, who have been held in Gaza for 15 months, are released by Hamas. This is the expectation. For the hostage families, nothing is ever certain: whether the deal will even go ahead, who will be released, and which of the hostages are alive and which are dead.
Just 33 of the 98 people being held by Hamas are set to be freed in the next six weeks under a deal which has taken months to agree and will involve up to 50 Palestinian prisoners being released in return for each hostage.
The 33 people set to be returned home in the next few weeks are taken from a larger list of 40 first presented by Israel more than six months ago. They comprise the women and children, men over 50 and those who are known to be injured. The bodies of seven on the initial list of 40 have been recovered by the IDF from Gaza during the last few months of brutal fighting, during which thousands of Palestinians have been killed. It is believed that some of the 33 on the list are dead too.
Read the full article here:
Live: View of Israel-Gaza border as ceasefire begins
09:40
,
Holly Evans
Hostages to be released after 2pm
09:29
,
Holly Evans
The Israeli prime minister’s office said Sunday that the release of three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would take place after 2pm GMT on Sunday.
In a statement, it also said four other living female hostages would be freed in seven days.
Breaking: Gaza ceasefire now in effect
09:22
,
Holly Evans
The Gaza ceasefire is now in effect after a morning of delays.
Three hostages, including British citizen Emily Damari, are set to be released today.
Ceasefire deal begins imminently
09:16
,
Holly Evans
Israel says Gaza ceasefire to begin at 11:15 am local time (9.15am GMT) after Hamas was late to name hostages.
Who are the hostages set for release?
09:15
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Holly Evans
Hamas have released the names of three hostages set for release, after a delay in Israel receiving the list.
Emily Damari, 28, who holds dual British-Israeli nationality, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, with hostages who have since been released telling her family that they had encountered her in captivity.
According to her mother Mandy, she was “shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza”.
Romi Gonen, 24, was ambushed as she tried to escape from the Supernova Festival while veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher, 31, was in her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked.
British citizen Emily Damari among hostages to be released on Sunday
09:07
,
Holly Evans
Hamas has released the names of the first three hostages to be freed on the first day of the ceasefire deal, which includes British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, 28.
The other two names are Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said it has begun notifying the families of the hostages who are set for release.
Breaking: Israeli official says list of names has been received
08:55
,
Holly Evans
An Israeli official has said the names of hostages to be released on Sunday has been received.
Hamas releases names of three Israeli hostages to be freed in Gaza, spokesperson says
08:37
,
Holly Evans
Hamas on Sunday released the names of the three Israeli hostages to be freed on the first day of the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, a Hamas armed wing spokesperson said in a post on Telegram.
Mediators have told Israel they have received the names of hostages due to be released on Sunday but the list is not yet in Israeli hands, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Israeli hardline minister Ben-Gvir quits government over Gaza deal
08:24
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Holly Evans
Hardline Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers from his nationalist-religious party have resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet over the Gaza ceasefire deal, their party said on Sunday.
The Otzma Yehudit party is no longer part of the ruling coalition but has said it will not try to bring down Netanyahu’s government.
Israel reportedly receive names of hostages for release
08:16
,
Holly Evans
Israel has received the names of the 33 hostages to be released on the first day of the planned ceasefire, Israel’s Channel 12 reports.
No official confirmation has been made by the Israelis that they have received the names.
Just moments earlier, a Hamas official said that the names of Israeli hostages to be released would be delivered soon.
Names of Israeli hostages set for release to be delivered soon to Israel, Hamas official says
08:13
,
Holly Evans
The names of Israeli hostages in Gaza to be released on the first day of the planned ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will be delivered soon, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday.
The official said the delay in handing over the list of hostages was technical.
Israeli military strikes killed at least eight Palestinians across Gaza on Sunday amid a delay in implementing the ceasefire, the Palestinian civil emergency service said.
At least eight Palestinians killed as strikes in Gaza continue
07:52
,
Holly Evans
At least eight Palestinians have been killed and 25 others injured as the ceasefire deal fails to materialise, the Palestinain Civil Emergency Service has said.
Three Palestinians were killed in eastern Gaza city by Israeli drones that opened fire in some parts east of the city, medics in the enclave said on Sunday.
Israeli military says it struck 'terror targets' in north, central Gaza
07:21
,
Holly Evans
The Israeli military said on Sunday that it had struck “terror targets” in northern and central Gaza.
The strikes come as the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was delayed as Hamas had not fulfilled its obligation to send Israel the list of hostages to be released on the first day.
In a statement, the IDF said it was “continuing to operate and strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip”.
“A short while ago, IDF artillery and aircraft struck a number of terror targets in northern and central Gaza,” the military said.
“The IDF remains ready in defence and offence and will not allow any harm to the citizens of Israel.”
Palestinian residents begin returning to homes despite ongoing shelling
07:03
,
Holly Evans
Palestinian residents began returning to their homes in parts of Gaza City early Sunday, even as tank shelling continued to the east, closer to the Israeli border, overnight. Families could be seen making their way back on foot, with their belongings loaded on donkey carts, residents said.
“The sound of shelling and explosions didn’t stop,” said Ahmed Matter, a Gaza City resident. He said he saw many families leaving their shelters and returning to their homes. “People are impatient. They want this madness to end,” he said.
Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire early Saturday in a rare session during the Jewish Sabbath, more than two days after mediators announced the deal. The warring sides were under pressure from both the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to achieve a deal before the U.S. presidential inauguration on Monday.
However, the deal has now been thrown into limbo after Israel said Hamas had not complied with its obligations, and that the ceasefire would not commence until they had received a list of hostages set for release.
Israeli military says it 'continues to attack' in Gaza
06:51
,
Holly Evans
The Israeli military says it “continues to attack” inside the Gaza Strip as a dispute with Hamas delayed the start of a planned ceasefire.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesman, said the truce would not begin until Hamas hands over the names of three hostages to be released later on Sunday, echoing an earlier statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The planned ceasefire, agreed after a year of intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, is the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at winding down the 15-month war.
The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire should see a total of 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Israeli forces should pull back into a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home. The devastated territory should also see a surge in humanitarian aid.
Israel says ceasefire will not take effect until Hamas release hostage list
06:40
,
Bel Trew
A military spokesman for Israel told reporters that Hamas is not meeting its obligations to send a list of hostages.
Daniel Hagari said that the ceasefire will not take effect as long as the militant group do not need its demands, and that Israel will continue to attack.
“As of this morning Hamas is not complying... Israel is committed to the agreement,” he said.
Israel says ceasefire will not take effect until Hamas release hostage list
06:39
,
Holly Evans
A military spokesman for Israel told reporters that Hamas is not meeting its obligations to send a list of hostages.
Daniel Hagari said that the ceasefire will not take effect as long as the militant group do not need its demands, and that Israel will continue to attack.
Israeli military give statement
06:33
,
Holly Evans
Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s spokesperson, has begun to give a statement to reporters.
It’s expected he’ll outline the reasons for the ceasefire being delayed and what may happen next.
Ceasefire due to begin
06:30
,
Holly Evans
The ceasefire deal should now be in effect, with the truce scheduled to begin at 8.30am local time (6.30am GMT).
However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military not to begin the ceasefire until they receive a list of hostages set for release from Hamas.
The exchange has raised doubts about whether the ceasefire would begin as planned, the first step in a long and fragile process aimed at winding down the 15-month war.
Netanyahu directs IDF not to begin ceasefire until list of hostages is released
06:23
,
Holly Evans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military the Gaza ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed”.
In a full statement, his office said: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security assessment overnight regarding the delay in receiving the list of hostages who are expected to be released.
“The Prime Minister directed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is due to take effect at 8:30am (6.30 GMT), will not begin as long as Israel does not have the list of hostages who are to be released, which Hamas has committed to provide.”
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
Israel says it recovered the body of a soldier killed in 2014 hours before Gaza ceasefire
06:12
,
Holly Evans
Israel said Sunday it has recovered the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war, hours before a ceasefire and hostage release were set to begin.
Oron Shaul was killed in the previous conflict and his remains have been held by Hamas. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained in Gaza after the 2014 war and had not been returned despite a public campaign by their families.
The families fought to have the bodies returned as part of any ceasefire deal in the current war.
Photos: Anti- and pro-ceasefire protests rock parts of world
06:00
,
Shweta Sharma
Both anti- and pro-ceasefire protests saw hundreds of people hitting the streets from New York and London to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied outside the New York Times building in Manhattan to stand with Palestinians in Gaza and to demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine following the announcement of the ceasefire.
Many gathered in the streets of Paris in support of the hostages held in Gaza. People gathered opposite the Eiffel Tower and held up “bring them home” placards.
Seven people were arrested at a pro-Palestine rally in central London as hundreds gathered amid a heavy police presence.
A man was arrested on suspicion of holding a placard suggesting support for banned organisations while four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and three others on suspicion of breaching conditions put in place for the protest.
People light flares and shout slogans during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Gaza ceasefire stalls as Netanyahu seeks list of hostages
05:50
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Shweta Sharma
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Sunday that the ceasefire in Gaza will not begin until Israel has received a list of the hostages set to be released from Hamas.
He reiterated the warning in a statement barely an hour before the ceasefire was set to begin at 8.30am local time.
“The prime minister instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8:30 am, will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office said in a statement.
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
What’s next for Gaza after ceasefire
05:30
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Shweta Sharma
There is no comprehensive agreement on the postwar future of Gaza, throwing the future of the war-torn enclave in limbo.
The Gaza enclave where buildings have been flattened, homes destroyed, and water and electricity lines severed require billions of dollars and years of work to rebuild.
Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for almost two decades, has survived despite losing its top leadership and thousands of fighters.
Israel has vowed it will not allow Hamas to return to power and has cleared large stretches of ground inside Gaza, in a step widely seen as a move towards creating a buffer zone that will allow its troops to act freely against threats in the enclave.
In Israel, the return of the hostages may ease some of the public anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government over the 7 Oct security failure that led to the deadliest single day in the country’s history.
But hardliners in his government have already threatened to quit if war on Hamas is not resumed, leaving him pressed between Washington’s desire to see the war end, and his far-right political allies at home.
Ceasefire raises new fears for Gazans: ‘The next nightmare is just beginning’
05:00
,
Shweta Sharma
Anxious civilians in Gaza are “counting the seconds” until a ceasefire is enforced, as Israeli airstrikes continue to pound the besieged strip, killing dozens of people, according to local health officials.
Despite a wobble when Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas had attempted to “extort last-minute concessions”, the deal appeared back on track on Thursday night and is due to be ratified on Friday with fighting set to cease on Sunday.
In war-ravaged Gaza, the health ministry said waves of Israeli airstrikes continued in the meantime, killing 77 people – half of them women and children.
“We see and expect that the coming hours before the ceasefire will be bloody and harsh,” said Dr Raed Musleh, 52, an internal medicine doctor, himself homeless and displaced in the southern city of Khan Younis, where he said medics lacked drugs to treat the wounded.
Read Bel Trew and Nedal Hamdouna’s report for The Independent.
Family of released Israeli hostage hopeful of Hamas ceasefire deal
04:30
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Shweta Sharma
Hostages’ families are hopeful for the return of their loved ones but remain “tense” waiting for a deal between Israel and Hamas.
Watch The Independent’s video from Tel Aviv.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal: Who is going to be released and what to expect
04:23
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Shweta Sharma
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas is expected to come into effect at 8.30am local time on Sunday, seeing the release dozens of hostages held in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The long-fought-for deal, divided into three phases of 42 days each, was approved by the Israeli cabinet with a majority of 24 ministers in favour and eight against in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Many hope it will bring an end to the devastating 15-month conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza and more than 1,000 Israelis.
Read our full report.
Countdown to Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages begins
03:45
,
Shweta Sharma
Families across Isr