Gaza ceasefire postponed due to hostage list issues

A ceasefire in Gaza, scheduled to commence on Sunday morning, has been postponed following a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Hamas to provide a list of hostages to be released that day. Hamas responded that it was unable to do so due to “technical” issues.

An Israeli military spokesperson stated at 0630 GMT, the time the ceasefire was expected to start, that Hamas was failing to fulfill its obligations, and Israel would persist with its military actions until its demands were met.

This anticipated ceasefire could potentially bring an end to a 15-month conflict that has significantly impacted the Middle East. Netanyahu announced just an hour before the ceasefire was set to begin that it would not take effect until Hamas submitted a list of the first three hostages scheduled for release on Sunday. His office confirmed that the prime minister directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to delay the ceasefire, originally planned for 8:30 a.m., until the list of released individuals was received.

Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement but attributed the delay in providing the names of the hostages to “technical field reasons,” without further details. Reports from pro-Hamas media indicated that Israeli forces had begun to withdraw from areas in Gaza’s Rafah towards the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border early on Sunday. Explosions were reported in Gaza right up to the deadline, and at 0630 GMT (8:30 a.m. local time), residents in Khan Younis celebrated, with gunfire heard in the air.

Israel’s military has issued a warning to residents of Gaza, advising them to avoid approaching its forces or moving throughout the Palestinian territory as the ceasefire deadline approaches. They stated that once movement is permitted, a formal announcement with guidelines for safe transit will be provided.

This ceasefire agreement, which consists of three phases, emerged after extensive negotiations facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, coinciding with the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

The initial phase will span six weeks, during which 33 of the remaining 98 hostages—comprising women, children, men over 50, and those who are ill or injured—will be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This group includes 737 individuals of various ages, some of whom are affiliated with militant organizations and have been convicted of attacks resulting in numerous Israeli casualties, alongside hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza who have been detained since the conflict began.

On Sunday afternoon, three female hostages are anticipated to be released through the Red Cross, in exchange for 30 prisoners each. Following this release, U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk indicated that the agreement stipulates the release of four additional female hostages after a week, with three more hostages to be freed every subsequent week.

During this initial phase, the Israeli military will withdraw from certain positions in Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza to return to their homes.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration collaborated closely with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, to finalize the agreement. As Trump’s inauguration neared, he consistently urged for a swift resolution, cautioning that there would be severe consequences if the hostages were not freed.

FUTURE OF GAZA POST-CONFLICT?

The future of Gaza remains uncertain without a comprehensive plan for its postwar reconstruction, which will necessitate significant financial investment and years of effort. While the ceasefire aims to bring an end to the conflict, its stability is questionable. Hamas, which has governed Gaza for nearly twenty years, has managed to endure despite the loss of its senior leaders and numerous fighters.

Israel has committed to preventing Hamas from regaining control and has cleared extensive areas within Gaza, a move interpreted as an effort to establish a buffer zone that would enable its forces to operate more freely against potential threats in the region.

In Israel, the return of the hostages may alleviate some public discontent directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing administration regarding the security lapses that led to the tragic events of October 7, which marked the deadliest day in the nation’s history. However, hardline members of his government have already signaled their intention to withdraw support if military action against Hamas does not resume, placing Netanyahu in a challenging position between the U.S. push for peace and the demands of his far-right political partners.

If hostilities resume, numerous hostages may remain in Gaza.

MIDEAST SHOCKWAVES

The conflict has reverberated throughout the region, igniting a confrontation with the Iran-supported Lebanese Hezbollah and drawing Israel into direct engagement with its longstanding adversary, Iran, for the first time.

Over a year later, the landscape of the Middle East has dramatically changed. Iran, which invested heavily in establishing a network of militant factions surrounding Israel, has seen its “Axis of Resistance” severely weakened and has been unable to cause significant harm to Israel during two major missile offensives.

Hezbollah, once perceived as the most formidable threat to Israel due to its extensive missile stockpile, has been significantly diminished, with key leaders eliminated and much of its missile and military infrastructure obliterated.

In the wake of these events, the long-standing Assad regime in Syria has been dismantled, eliminating another key Iranian ally and leaving Israel’s military largely unopposed in the region.

On the diplomatic stage, Israel has encountered widespread condemnation and isolation due to the casualties and destruction in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, along with separate charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

Israel has responded vehemently to these allegations, dismissing them as politically driven and accusing South Africa, which initiated the ICJ case, along with the nations that have supported it, of antisemitism.

The conflict was ignited by Hamas’ assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250, as reported by Israeli sources. Since then, more than 400 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in the ongoing combat in Gaza. Israel’s extensive military operation in Gaza, which has lasted 15 months, has devastated much of the densely populated coastal region, leading to nearly 47,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.

The United Nations human rights office has indicated that the majority of the confirmed deaths are women and children. Israel contends that over one-third of those killed in Gaza are combatants.