Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially takes effect after 15 months of conflict

19 Janar 2025, 13:52World News TEMA
Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially takes effect after 15 months of

January 19, 2025 –  A long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has officially come into effect, ending 15 months of brutal and destructive conflict in the Middle East.

The ceasefire began immediately after Hamas released the names of three hostages to be freed today. However, the process was delayed for over two hours, as Israel held off on halting military action until the full list of hostages was provided, as agreed earlier in the week.

Later, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, and the first hostages to be released are Israeli citizen Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and two British-Israeli women, Emily Damari, 28, and Romi Gonen, 24. Two of the women were taken in the northern Gaza Strip on October 7, while the third was captured at the Nova Festival.

The three women will be exchanged for 50 Palestinian prisoners each. However, details on how or when their release will take place are still unclear.

The ceasefire agreement also includes the release of nearly 100 hostages and the freeing of 33 individuals from Gaza during the first phase of a 42-day plan. The deal calls for Israel to pull back to a specific area within Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Humanitarian aid to Gaza is also set to increase.

This is the second ceasefire since the war broke out in October 2023, following a previous pause in fighting a year ago, during which several hostages were freed.

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