Middle East
Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in effect
The weapons should finally fall silent – in the Gaza war between Hamas and Israel, the ceasefire came into force after hours of delay.
The ceasefire agreed between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas came into force at 10:15 a.m. German time, around three hours late. “According to the plan for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire for the first phase in the Gaza Strip will come into force at 11:15 a.m. (local time),” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday. Shortly beforehand, Hamas had sent the list of three hostages to be released today, hours late. The ceasefire was supposed to have started at 7:30 a.m. Central European Time.
Initially, 33 of the hostages from the Gaza Strip are to be released
Israel and Hamas had agreed on an initial ceasefire of 42 days. During this time, 33 of the 98 Israeli hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip will be exchanged for 1,904 Palestinians imprisoned. The hostages also include Israelis who also have German citizenship. In Israel it is assumed that 34 of those abducted are presumed dead.
According to the Israeli government, the release of the first three hostages is planned for Sunday at 3 p.m. German time. According to Israeli information, there are three civilians. At around the same time, the first 90 or so Palestinian prisoners are to be released in Israel and taken by security forces either to the occupied West Bank or to the Gaza Strip.
Schedule wobbles
It initially remained uncertain whether the schedule would stick given the delayed start of the ceasefire. On the eve of the planned ceasefire, Netanyahu reiterated that if the agreement fails, Israel would resume fighting and achieve all war aims, including the destruction of Hamas.
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6:29 a.m.: The horror begins
It is Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. It coincides with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. At 6:29 a.m. (5:29 a.m. German time), Israel hasn’t even fully woken up yet, the Israeli army registered thousands of rockets being fired at Israel near the border from the Gaza Strip
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Further
The first phase of the agreement also provides for a rapid improvement in food supplies for the more than two million residents of the largely destroyed Gaza Strip, 90 percent of whom, according to the UN, are suffering from hunger. In addition, the Israeli army must withdraw from population centers in the Gaza Strip.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since it was first published.
DPA · AFP · Reuters
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
