Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
A ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas has been agreed upon and is set to take effect in less than 24 hours. Qatar’s foreign minister, Majin al-Ansari, announced on X that the ceasefire will formally begin at 1:30 AM EST Sunday (8:30 AM local time in Gaza). He advised caution as the agreement goes into effect, urging people to await direction from officials.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the ceasefire will not proceed unless Israel receives a list of hostages to be released. He stated, “Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Hamas is solely responsible.” This statement came hours after Israel expected to receive the names of hostages Hamas had promised to deliver to Qatari mediators.
Netanyahu spoke to the nation 12 hours before the ceasefire’s implementation, claiming he had support from former President Donald Trump, who advised against accepting the deal. The ceasefire aims to end the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing relief to those trapped in Gaza and enduring the violence.