A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was initiated on Sunday, albeit with a nearly three-hour delay caused by Hamas’s tardiness in naming three hostages it intends to release. The announcement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office indicated that the ceasefire commenced at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT). Prior to this, Israel stated it would continue military actions until Hamas provided the required names as part of the agreement. Hamas attributed the holdup to “technical field reasons,” reiterating its commitment to the ceasefire arrangement established the previous week.
This ceasefire aims to halt 15 months of conflict, allowing for the release of numerous hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. The Israeli Cabinet endorsed the plan early Saturday morning. The ceasefire was brokered through months of indirect negotiations involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, marking the second such agreement amid the ongoing violence.
Following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and about 250 people taken captive, Israel’s military response led to over 46,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to local health authorities, who do not differentiate between combatants and civilians but assert that a significant number of the deceased are women and children.
In Gaza, the commencement of the ceasefire triggered celebrations as locals expressed hopes for a reprieve from the devastation. Slogans supporting Hamas were chanted amid rallies, and members of the Gaza Civil Defense participated in celebrations waving Palestinian flags. The Hamas-run police resumed visible operations in public areas after a period of low visibility due to relentless Israeli airstrikes. Despite ongoing tank shelling near the Israeli border, many Gazans began returning to their homes early Sunday morning, loaded with their belongings. Residents voiced a strong desire for peace, with one man commenting on the continuous sound of shelling.
Amid these celebrations, families of Israeli hostages expressed concerns about the uncertainty that lay ahead. During a gathering in Paris, relatives shared their anxiety over the long-term health impact on the hostages, many of whom have been subjected to severe conditions for more than 450 days. Moshe Emilio Lavi highlighted that “everyone is a humanitarian case” but rejected the notion that the current phase of negotiations represents a humanitarian effort, stressing the need for immediate action for all hostages.
An Israeli official confirmed that three hostages set to be released later that day included Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Gonen was abducted from a music festival, while Damari, who has dual Israeli-British citizenship, and Steinbrecher were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
In the quiet before the ceasefire took effect, Israelis gathered near the Gaza border, witnessing ongoing military strikes. The atmosphere was tense as Asher Pizem, a local resident, expressed mixed feelings about the ceasefire deal, viewing it as a temporary solution that merely postpones the larger issues at play.
Unfortunately, reports indicated that an Israeli airstrike had resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals in Khan Younis, shortly after the ceasefire was initially planned to begin. The ongoing violence highlighted the tenuous nature of the truce negotiations.
Amid this complex situation, Israel announced it had retrieved the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas conflict, as part of the broader exchanges anticipated in the ceasefire negotiations. Meanwhile, the United Nations ramped up its preparations for extensive aid delivery to Gaza amidst the ceasefire agreement.
In contrast, protests against the ceasefire deal erupted in Jerusalem, with demonstrators demanding Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s resignation and the continuation of military operations. The protestors felt the ceasefire was a betrayal of the sacrifices made by Israeli soldiers, demonstrating the divisions within Israeli society regarding the ongoing conflict.
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s stance, describing the ceasefire as temporary and vowing that Israel retains the right to resume military action if deemed necessary. He emphasized Israel’s recent military gains in the region as leverage in negotiations while facing criticism from hardline elements within his Cabinet.
Overall, the temporary ceasefire marks a small step in a long-standing conflict, but its success hinges on the ongoing negotiations and the complex backdrop of resentment and rivalry that characterizes Israeli-Palestinian relations.
