The Israel-Hamas ceasefire will not begin until the terrorist organization provides Jerusalem with the names of the three hostages set to be freed later in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday morning.
Netanyahu held a security assessment overnight Saturday “regarding the delay in receiving the list of hostages expected to be released,” according to a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The premier “instructed the Israel Defense Forces that the ceasefire, which is scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has pledged to provide.”
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari subsequently announced that the military’s operations in Gaza “continue as usual” amid the delay.
“Hamas is not fulfilling its obligation and, in a breach of the agreement, the names of the returning hostages have not been provided to Israel at this time. At the prime minister’s direction, the ceasefire will not go into effect as long as Hamas does not fulfill its commitment,” Hagari stated.
Hamas attributed the delay to “technical reasons,” reiterating “its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.”
The deal stipulates that Hamas must provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release, with the first three captives expected to be freed on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
The Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement early Saturday following seven hours of deliberation. Twenty-four ministers voted for the agreement and eight voted against, with one absenting himself from the vote.
Israeli forces “have been preparing to receive the hostages after their release from Hamas captivity and is operating to provide suitable physical and psychological support, with careful attention to every detail,” according to a statement from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on Saturday.
“Alongside the agreement and our commitment to bringing home all the hostages, the IDF will continue to operate in order to ensure the security of all Israeli citizens, particularly those in communities near the Gaza Strip,” the statement continued.
The accord’s first stage was to see the phased release of 33 hostages—alive or dead—over a period of 42 days. Israel estimates that 25 of them are alive.
Three hostages were expected to be returned on Sunday and four more on the seventh day of the ceasefire.
Three hostages are set to be returned every week for the remaining four weeks, with 14 to be returned on the final, sixth week of the accord’s first stage. It is not known in what order the hostages will be released.
