Ceasefire Finally Takes Effect In Gaza

After several hours of delay, the long-awaited ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has finally come into effect. The ceasefire began at 11:15 AM local time on Sunday (9:15 AM GMT), as confirmed by Qatar, one of the key mediators of the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Majid Al-Ansari, confirmed the commencement of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The spokesperson stated, "After the ceasefire began in Gaza, three hostages will be handed over to Israel. All three are Israeli citizens."

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing, Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said that, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, they have decided to release three hostages today. The three individuals are: Romi Gonen (24), Emily Damari (28), and Doron Steinbrecher (31).

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the ceasefire would come into effect three hours later than initially planned. During this delay, Israel launched airstrikes from the scheduled time for the ceasefire to begin. The airstrikes resulted in 10 deaths, including six in Gaza City, three in the northern region, and one in Rafah. Additionally, 25 people were injured.

It is worth mentioning that on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people. More than 250 individuals were taken hostage and brought to Gaza, many of whom have since been released by Hamas.

Since the day of Hamas's attack, Israel has carried out indiscriminate airstrikes on Gaza. According to Gaza authorities, over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the airstrikes, over 110,000 have been injured, and millions have been displaced.