Israel-Hamas Ceasefire to Begin at 0630 GMT, Hostage Releases Planned

Associated Press
January 18, 2025 | 4:11 pm
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Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Doha. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 0630 GMT or 1.30 p.m. Jakarta time on Sunday.

The ceasefire will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early Saturday. The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt after months of indirect negotiations, marks the second truce in the devastating conflict.

The war has claimed over 46,000 lives in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which did not specify how many of the dead were militants. Israel claims it has killed over 17,000 fighters, though it has not provided evidence.

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Ceasefire Deal Details
Under the agreement, 33 hostages are to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

The remaining captives, including male soldiers, are to be released during a second phase, subject to further negotiations. Hamas has stated it will not release additional hostages without a lasting ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal.

On the first day of the deal, Hamas will release three female hostages, followed by four on Day 7. The remaining 26 hostages will be freed over the subsequent five weeks.

Israel’s Justice Ministry has published a list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners set to be released under the ceasefire deal.

The list was made public just hours after the full Cabinet approved the agreement. According to the Justice Ministry, the prisoners will be released no earlier than 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the day the exchange is scheduled to begin.

The list includes members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, some of whom are serving life sentences for serious offenses, including murder.

Notably absent from the list is Marwan Barghouti, a 64-year-old Palestinian leader viewed by many as a potential future president. Barghouti, a prominent figure during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, has been a key demand in Hamas’s negotiations. However, Israeli officials have ruled out his release as part of the current ceasefire agreement.

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