Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered his military not to initiate a Gaza ceasefire, scheduled to begin at 8:30 AM (0630 GMT), until Hamas provides a list of hostages to be released.
“The Prime Minister has instructed the IDF that the Gaza ceasefire, which was supposed to begin at 8:30 AM, will not commence until Israel has the list of kidnapped individuals that Hamas has promised to release,” said Netanyahu’s Office in a statement on Sunday (January 19), as reported by Al Jazeera.
In a statement, Hamas blamed the delay in providing the names on technical field reasons. However, the resistance group remains committed to the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
This development came just hours after Netanyahu stated in a speech that Israel reserves the right to continue the war in Gaza if the second phase of the ceasefire does not yield results.
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The first phase of the 42-day ceasefire will result in the return of 33 hostages from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli forces are required to withdraw to a buffer zone within Gaza, and many displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes. The war-torn region is also expected to experience an influx of humanitarian aid. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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