Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into force following delay over release of hostage list – live

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Gaza ceasefire has come into effect, Israel says

The long-anticipated ceasefire deal has officially come into effect. The first three hostages to be released by Hamas have been named as Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, who were kidnapped from their kibbutz, and Romi Gonen, 24, who was taken from the Supernova Festival in October 2023. They are expected to be released later today.

“According to the plan for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire for phase one in Gaza will come into effect at 11:15 local time (09:15 GMT),” a statement from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office read.

The ceasefire deal comes in three stages. In the first stage of the ceasefire deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder are to be released in a second phase. The 98 hostages – some of whom are believed to be dead – include four people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015.

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Key events

Timeline of what we know so far about stage 1 and stage 2 of ceasefire agreement

Israeli forces have reportedly already started withdrawing from areas in the southern city of Rafah to the Philadelphi corridor along the border between Egypt and Gaza. We have not been able to independently verify this information yet.

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is supposed to begin withdrawing from “urban areas” in the territory immediately. Here is a timeline of what is expected to happen on specific days over the next couple of months:

Stage 1

  • Sunday 19 January (day 1): Phase one begins. Three hostages to return, about 95 Palestinians to be released from prison (those from Gaza taken back, those from West Bank dropped off in Ramallah, serious offenders to be deported to a third country).

  • Sunday 26 January (day 7). Four hostages to return. More Palestinians released.

  • Sunday 2 February (day 14). Four hostages to return, more Palestinians released, more withdrawal by Israeli forces from the Netzarim corridor, separating what was once the densely populated Gaza City from the rest of the strip.

  • Tuesday 4 February (day 16). Negotiations thrashing out details of Stage II to begin.

  • Sunday 9 February (day 21). Three hostages to return, Palestinians released, more withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor.

  • Monday 10 February (day 22). Access to north allowed via Salah al Din road too (the main road crossing the length of Gaza).

  • Sunday 16 February (day 28). Three more hostages to return, more Palestinians released.

  • Sunday 23 February (day 35). Three more hostages to return, more Palestinians released.

  • Sunday 2 March (day 42). 14 hostages to return, more Palestinians released. Rafah due to reopen – all injured and sick Palestinian civilians to be allowed to leave; 50 injured fighters a day allowed to leave.

    Stage 2

  • Sunday 9 March (day 50. Israeli withdrawal from Philadephi supposed to be completed.

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How will the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal work?

Here are the main elements of the ceasefire deal, as outlined by my colleague Bethan McKernan. You can read her explainer about the agreement and whether or not it is likely to lead to a permanent ceasefire here.

What’s in the deal?

  • All fighting is to pause during the first 42-day phase. Israeli forces are to withdraw from Gaza’s cities to a “buffer zone” along the edge of the strip, displaced Palestinians will be able to return home and there will be a marked increase in aid deliveries.

  • In the second stage, of unclear duration, the remaining living hostages will be returned and a corresponding ratio of Palestinian prisoners freed, alongside a complete Israeli withdrawal from the strip. The Rafah crossing to Egypt will be opened for the sick and wounded to leave. It is unclear whether it will be returned to Palestinian control.

  • The third phase, which could last years, would address the exchange of bodies of deceased hostages and Hamas members, and a reconstruction plan for Gaza. Much of the international community has advocated for the semi-autonomous West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, to return to the strip. Israel, however, has repeatedly rejected the suggestion.

Displaced Palestinians walk past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters

How will stage one work?

  • A total of 33 hostages will be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for about 1,700 Palestinians held in Israel prisons, about 1,000 of whom are from Gaza and were arrested after 7 October 2023 under emergency legislation which allowed detention without charge or trial.

  • Three female captives – named by Hamas as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari – will be freed first in exchange for about 95 Palestinians. A handful of Israelis will then be released every Sunday for the next six weeks; the number of Palestinians to be freed upon their return generally depends on whether the Israelis are civilians or soldiers. Some of the freed Palestinians from the West Bank sentenced for serious crimes against Israelis will be sent to third countries rather than be allowed to return home.

  • In Gaza, people displaced from their homes will be allowed to move freely around the Palestinian territory from day seven, and 600 trucks of aid will arrive each day to alleviate the strip’s dire humanitarian conditions. Supplies to Gaza are currently at an average of 18 truckloads a day; aid agencies say 500 a day is needed at a minimum.

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Israeli attacks killed at least 13 Palestinian people this morning – medics

Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks killed at least 13 Palestinian people between 0630 GMT, when the ceasefire was meant to begin, and 0915 GMT, when it actually took effect, Palestinian medics said.

Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, is reporting that the Israeli attacks have targeted Beit Lahiya, Gaza City and al-Bureij in Gaza. What it is describing as “violent shelling” is occurring in Beit Hanoun and other areas in the northern part of the Strip. Dozens more people are reported to have been injured in the attacks.

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Displaced Palestinians make their way home – in pictures

Thousands of displaced Palestinian people carrying tents, clothes and personal belongings have began heading to their homes as the ceasefire comes into effect. Here are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires from the Gaza Strip, which has still been hit by deadly Israeli airstrikes this morning:

Children cheer in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip shortly before the ceasefire deal came into force. Photograph: Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images
Displaced Palestinian people walk past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. Photograph: DAWOUDABOALKAS/Reuters
A displaced Palestinian man carries belongings as he makes his way past rubble in Rafah to return home. Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters
Displaced Palestinians cheer as they return to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
Palestinian first aid and civil defense workers in Gaza City celebrate the ceasefire agreement. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
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The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, is taking questions from the press in Jerusalem. Here are some of the main points he made during the briefing.

Sa’ar told reporters that Donald Trump, who returns to the White House as president tomorrow, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet “soon” to discuss all issues of “great importance”. Separately, he accused Iran of inflaming Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Sa’ar went on to say that Israel remains committed to releasing all the hostages (Hamas seized 251 hostages during the October 7 attack in 2023, in which 1,200 people wee killed, and, after 15 months of Israel’s war, is estimated to hold 94).

“It is clear, as I said previously, that to move from the first phase to the second phase (of the ceasefire agreement) is not something automatic. We have objectives of the war. To do it automatically is to accept Hamas’ wishes and Hamas’ demands. We have objectives to achieve and we will negotiate that in good faith,” Sa’ar said.

Sa’ar said that Israel is committed to achieving its objectives in the Gaza war, including the return of hostages and dismantling of Hamas’ government and military capabilities.

He said there would be no future peace, stability and security for both sides if Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel and has been in control of Gaza since 2007, remained in power in Gaza.

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The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, says it has 4,000 truckloads of humanitarian assistance ready to enter the Gaza Strip, with half of them carrying food and flour. Hundreds of aid trucks are now waiting to cross into Gaza.

“Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip could decline as humanitarian relief comes in following a ceasefire,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of Unrwa, said.

International aid agencies have repeatedly accused Israel of blocking or delaying distribution of vital food, medicine and fuel over the course of its war on Gaza. As part of the deal, aid to the territory should increase to 600 trucks a day, above the 500 minimum that aid agencies say is needed to contain Gaza’s devastating humanitarian crisis.

UNRWA has 4,000 truckloads of aid ready to enter #Gaza — half of them carry food and flour.

Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip could decline as humanitarian relief comes in following a #ceasefire, says @‌UNLazzarini.https://t.co/yRt1NxWuXS

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 19, 2025

The Israeli parliament decided in late October to pass a law banning Unrwa from operating in the country. Unrwa said the new laws will cause the supply chain of aid to Gaza to “fall apart”.

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Summary of the day so far…

Here is a quick round up of what has happened today:

  • The much anticipated ceasefire, which comes in three phases, began at 11:15 local time (9:15 GMT) after a three-hour delay.

  • Hamas released the names of three female hostages who it says it will be freed later today. They are Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, who were kidnapped from their kibbutz, and Romi Gonen, 24, who was taken from the Supernova Festival in October 2023.

  • The ceasefire was delayed this morning because Israel said it had not received a list of the three hostages to be freed on time. Hamas blamed “technical” reasons for the delay, saying it was still committed to the truce.

  • The first six-week phase of the ceasefire will see more than 30 hostages – including women, children and elderly people – exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The releases will be staggered.

  • Gaza’s civil defence agency said eight Palestinian people had been killed after deadly Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip during the hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Three Palestinians were killed in eastern Gaza City by Israeli drones, medics in the territory said on Sunday.

  • Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s party announced it was leaving the country’s ruling coalition in protest at what it called the “scandalous” Gaza ceasefire agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu’s slim majority remains intact.

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The Israeli prime minister’s office says the release of three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza would take place after 1400 GMT (1600 local time) on Sunday, adding that four other living female hostages would be freed in seven days.

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Qatar, which has been a key mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, has confirmed that the Gaza ceasefire has begun. Qatar, the US and Egypt will monitor the ceasefire deal through a body based in Cairo.

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Gaza ceasefire has come into effect, Israel says

The long-anticipated ceasefire deal has officially come into effect. The first three hostages to be released by Hamas have been named as Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, who were kidnapped from their kibbutz, and Romi Gonen, 24, who was taken from the Supernova Festival in October 2023. They are expected to be released later today.

“According to the plan for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire for phase one in Gaza will come into effect at 11:15 local time (09:15 GMT),” a statement from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office read.

The ceasefire deal comes in three stages. In the first stage of the ceasefire deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder are to be released in a second phase. The 98 hostages – some of whom are believed to be dead – include four people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015.

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More now on the resignation of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline national security minister. His departure does not come as a complete shock as he threatened last week he would quit the government if it ratified the ceasefire deal (which it ended up doing). He claimed it would “erase the achievements of the war” by releasing Palestinian militants and ceding territory in Gaza.

In a statement, Ben-Gvir’s party Jewish Power called the ceasefire deal a “capitulation to Hamas” and denounced what it called the “release of hundreds of murderers” and the “renouncing of the (Israeli military’s) achievements in the war” in Gaza. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu retains a slim majority in the Knesset – the Israeli parliament – despite the resignations.

Itamar Ben-Gvir delivering a statement to the media at his ministry headquarters in Jerusalem on 16 January 2025. Photograph: Atef Safadi/EPA

Ben-Gvir last week urged far right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has described the deal as a “catastrophe”, to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party threatened to quit the government if it did not go back to war to defeat Hamas after the first six-week phase of the ceasefire was completed.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks to the media in Jerusalem. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
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Hamas releases names of first Israeli hostages to be freed

Bethan McKernan

Bethan McKernan, the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, has more information about the three Israeli female hostages to be freed later today as part of the ceasefire deal which has still not come into effect:

Hamas’s armed wing has released the names of the three living female hostages due to be returned home today – Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Steinbrecher was incorrectly named as “Shtanbar Khair” in the message delivered by al-Qassam’s Telegram channel. Israel has not yet confirmed the list given by Hamas.

Damari and Steinbrecher were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, while Gonen was taken from the Nova festival.

Video from 7 October 2023 shows that Damari was shot in the hand and the leg during the attack by Hamas.

Steinbrecher appeared in a hostage video released by Hamas in January last year. She appeared to be in a tunnel, and had lost a lot of weight.

There had been no signs of life from either Damari or Gonen since the day they were seized, although a hostage released in the week-long ceasefire in November 2023 told Gonen’s family that she was alive, but in bad condition.

Damari holds British citizenship, and her club, Tottenham Hotspur, came together with Arsena during the north London derby last week to honour her, releasing yellow balloons in the seventh minute of the game – the colour adopted by the hostages’ families.

Emily Damari. Photograph: Family handout/PA
Romi Gonen. Photograph: Reuters
Doron Steinbrecher. Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
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