Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire won’t begin until Hamas releases list of prisoners | Israeli-Palestinian conflict News

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Israeli Prime Minister orders army not to begin ceasefire until names are published. Hamas says the delay is due to “technical reasons on the ground.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered his army not to begin the ceasefire in Gaza, which is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) until Hamas publishes the names of captives to be freed, his office said. desk.

“The prime minister has instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is supposed to come into effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has seized. committed to providing,” his office said in a statement. Sunday.

In a statement shortly after, Hamas blamed the delay in releasing names on “technical reasons on the ground.” He said he was committed to the ceasefire agreement announced last week.

Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Amman, said there was “so much international pressure” on Hamas and Israel that it would be “very difficult” to see how the ceasefire, in particularly in the first phase, would not continue.

“Will there potentially be delays at this stage? I’m pretty sure Qatar will put incredible pressure on Hamas, if these names haven’t been released yet, to do so,” she said.

“But Hamas has reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire and will then release these names as soon as possible.”

Netanyahu’s warning came hours after his speech in which he said Israel retained the right to resume the war in Gaza and had U.S. support to do so if the second stage of the ceasefire the fire failed.

The first phase of the 42-day ceasefire is expected to see a total of 33 hostages repatriated from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released.

Israeli forces are expected to withdraw to a buffer zone inside Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home. The devastated territory is also expected to see an influx of humanitarian aid.

It is only the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than the week-long pause more than a year ago, with the potential to end the fighting for good.

Negotiations on the much more difficult second phase of this ceasefire are expected to begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first six-week phase and how the rest of the hundred or so hostages in Gaza will be freed.

Israel’s cabinet approved the ceasefire on 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 the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the U.S. presidential inauguration on Monday.