Qatar’s foreign ministry has announced that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will take effect at 6:30 GMT on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Israel’s cabinet approved a long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza, which includes the release of several hostages and a pause in the 15-month conflict. Hamas has committed to binding both sides to cease hostilities as part of the agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of detained Palestinians currently held in various Israeli prisons.
In the second phase of the agreement, negotiations will focus on the release of male and female soldiers captured by Hamas. While Hamas has agreed to release the 33 hostages during the first phase, they have refused to free the remaining hostages until Israeli forces completely withdraw from Gaza.
As part of the deal, Hamas will release three female hostages on Day 1, four more on Day 7, and the remaining 26 hostages over the subsequent five weeks. Palestinian prisoners will also be freed in exchange, with the first phase focusing on prisoners who are younger or female.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed a special force to prepare to receive the returning hostages. The families of those set to be released have been informed of the agreement.
Israel’s justice ministry has published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be freed during the first phase of the exchange. It also confirmed that the release will not begin before 4 pm local time on Sunday.
The ongoing conflict has led to a devastating loss of life in Gaza, where the death toll has exceeded 46,876. More than 100,000 people, including women and children, have been injured as a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which followed Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023.
Hamas’s assault on 7 October killed approximately 1,200 people within Israel and took 250 others hostage. Nearly 100 hostages are still believed to remain in Gaza.
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