February 15, 2025 05:37 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Big concerns addressed, I am encouraged: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lauds Modi's US visit | Prayagraj: 10 Maha Kumbh pilgrims die after car-bus collision on highway | 'US wants a durable peace in Ukraine,' US Vice President JD Vance says after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy | 'How can we involve Chief Justice with any executive appointment?' Jagdeep Dhankar's big remark on separation of powers | BJP says AAP renames CMO Delhi X handle to 'KejriwalAtWork', then deletes profile | Mumbai, Assam cops land at Ranveer Allahbadia's residence but could not find him | I will leave it to PM Modi: Donald Trump on Bangladesh crisis | Modi is a much tougher and better negotiator than me: Donald Trump | Modi covered up Gautam Adani's corruption: Rahul Gandhi after PM's 'personal matter' remark in the US | We don't meet for personal matters: PM Modi denies discussing Adani issue with Trump
Gaza
A young girl waits to fill water containers in Gaza. Photo Courtesy: UNRWA

Middle East conflict: Gaza ceasefire begins after Hamas shares names of Israeli hostages to be freed today

| @indiablooms | Jan 19, 2025, at 03:32 pm

The Gaza ceasefire deal finally came into effect on Sunday after the Hamas group shared the names of the three hostages with Israeli officials.

Confirming the development, Israel's Prime Minister's Office posted on X: "Israel has received the list of the hostages who are due to be released today according to the framework. The security establishment is now checking the details."

"Pursuant to the framework for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire of the first stage in Gaza will take effect at 11:15," read another X post.

The ceasefire became effective after it was delayed for several hours.

Israeli forces continued to hit Gaza amid the delay which left at least 10 Palestinians dead, media reports said.

The strikes killed six people in the Al-Shaaf neighbourhood east of Gaza City, three north of Gaza City, as well as one in the southernmost city, Rafah, according to officials at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital and civil defence, reported CNN.

Meanwhile,  Shahaf, the brother of one of the hostages named  Romi Gonen, said the name of her sister is on the list of people who will be released by Hamas on Sunday.

In a post to his Instagram account, Romi’s brother Shahaf writes that she “is on the list. It’s official. Good luck to us all, reported The Times of Israel.

Romi was taken hostage by Hamas members when they attacked the Nova festival on October 7, 2023.

Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Ending a 15-month-long war, Israel and Hamas reached a landmark agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as exchanging of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

This agreement comes after months of intense negotiations carried out by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the support of the United States.

The overall toll in the Israel-Hamas war is more than 46,000 with hundreds of thousands getting displaced and struggling to survive in makeshift shelters.

In Israel, the return of the hostages is expected to ease public anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, who have faced severe criticism for the October 7 security failure that led to the deadliest single day in Israel's history.

The agreement marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict, coming after Israel's successful assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia Mar 22, 2023, at 08:26 pm