Netanyahu Warns Ceasefire in Gaza Will Not Begin Without Hostage List from Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that a ceasefire in Gaza, set to begin at 0630 GMT on Sunday, will not take effect unless Hamas provides a list of hostages it has committed to releasing. The announcement came as Hamas attributed the delay in sharing the list to “technical reasons.”
According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, the Prime Minister instructed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that the ceasefire scheduled for 8:30 am would be delayed until Israel received the names of the hostages to be freed. “Hamas has committed to providing this list,” the statement read.
In response, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire terms but explained that the delay in delivering the names of the first batch of released hostages was due to logistical issues.
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On Saturday evening, Netanyahu had warned that the planned prisoner swap—where Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged for hostages—would not go forward unless the list was handed over. He further emphasized that Israel retained the right to resume military action “if necessary,” with full support from the United States, stressing that the ceasefire was only “temporary.”
This ceasefire comes after several months of tense negotiations, which have been mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.
