A ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas has gone into effect after a nearly three-hour delay during which Israeli attacks killed at least 19 Palestinians, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel and Press TV reported.
The deal stipulates a pause in fighting and the release of three Israeli captives and about 95 Palestinian prisoners on the first day.
Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher are named as two of the hostages set to be freed by Hamas later today.
The families have confirmed that the two women are expected to be released today.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said that it continued to carry out attacks on Gaza as Hamas had not provided a list of captives to be released under the ceasefire.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement that the regime’s military “continues to strike within the Gaza area at this time. According to the prime minister’s directives, the ceasefire will not come into effect until Hamas fulfills its commitments.”
A displaced Palestinian man named Anwar said he hopes to return to Rafah despite reports that his home was destroyed during the war.
“I will go there and I will see to find a place where I can set up a tent to live with my eight-member family,” he told Al Jazeera in Khan Younis.
“It was a nightmare, a nightmare, literally a nightmare, as if we [were] dreaming and then we got up again,” Anwar said.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 46,899 Palestinians and wounded 110,725 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.
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