The Qatar, an important mediator for the Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiation, announced on Saturday (January 18) that the ceasefire agreement would come into effect at 8:30 am local time on Sunday (1:30 am Eastern Time). The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the military subsequently confirmed the news.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Majid al-Ansari, revealed the effective time of the ceasefire agreement on the social media platform X. He reminded the public to exercise caution when the agreement takes effect and to wait for instructions from officials.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Saturday: “The IDF has been preparing to receive the hostages held by Hamas and is working to provide appropriate physical and psychological support, paying close attention to every detail.”
The statement further added: “In addition to the agreement and our commitment to bringing all hostages back home, the IDF will continue operations to ensure the safety of all Israeli citizens, especially those in communities near the Gaza Strip.”
Despite the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, air raid sirens were still heard in central Israel on Saturday. The military reported intercepting missiles launched from Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthi militants have escalated missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks, claiming these attacks are part of their pressure campaign to resolve the Gaza conflict with Israel and Western countries.
Before the ceasefire agreement came into effect, Israel continued airstrikes on Gaza.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement will last for six weeks. During this period, 33 Israeli hostages will be released (including survivors and deceased). In exchange, Israel will release approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
According to the ceasefire plan approved by the Israeli Cabinet and signed by the National Security Advisor, the exchange of hostages and prisoners will commence at 4 pm on Sunday.
Hamas has agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the agreement coming into effect, followed by four hostages on the seventh day, with the remaining 26 hostages to be released over the remaining five weeks of the first phase.
The Israeli Ministry of Justice has published a list of over 700 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the first phase.
During the first phase, the Israeli military will also withdraw to a buffer zone. This buffer zone is about one kilometer (0.6 miles) wide along the Gaza-Israel border within Gaza territory. This will allow Palestinians to return to their homes.
All Palestinian prisoners convicted of deadly attacks will be exiled, either sent to Gaza or abroad, and prohibited from returning to Israel or the West Bank. As per the plan, some individuals will be exiled for three years, while others will face permanent exile.
The details of the second phase of the agreement will be finalized in negotiations during the first phase. The remaining hostages, including Israeli male soldiers detained in Gaza, will be released in the second phase. Hamas has stated that they will not release the remaining hostages unless a lasting ceasefire is achieved and Israel withdraws completely from Gaza.
(This article was based on reports from the Associated Press.)