JERUSALEM – A Ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel has been implemented in the Gaza Strip after a two-hour and 45-minute delay on Sunday.
As per the media reports, the ceasefire was meant to begin at 0630 GMT. But it was implemented at 0915 GMT which led to a halt in Israeli strikes. Before the implementation of the deal, as many as 13 Palestinians were martyred in Israeli strikes.
The ceasefire has ended a 15-month-long standoff that has brought devastation and untold miseries to the residents of the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have so far been killed due to a series of Israeli strikes.
Israeli authorities, however, put the responsibility for the delay on Hamas. They accused Hamas of not providing the names of the first three hostages to be released under the agreement.
A Palestinian official said the mediators had asked for 48 hours of calm before the ceasefire’s implementation. But Israel continued strikes which led to delays in proving the list of hostages.
Hamas has provided the list which was later also confirmed by the Israeli authorities.
The ceasefire deal could help end the Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip. The tension began in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel.
It also affected the Middle East as tension began between Israel and Iran, and other anti-Israeli and anti-American forces in the region.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli forces started withdrawing from Rafah in Gaza to the corridor along the border between Egypt and Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement followed months of negotiations facilitated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. It came into effect just one day ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
During six weeks, 33 of the remaining 98 hostages will be released in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The first three female hostages will be released through the Red Cross on Sunday. In return for each, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released.
Under the agreement, Hamas will inform the Red Cross where the meeting point will be inside Gaza. The Red Cross will collect the hostages from the given location.
