Netanyahu delays Gaza ceasefire until Hamas provides hostage list, IDF recovers body of soldier killed in 2014

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed early Sunday that the planned ceasefire in Gaza will not begin until Israel receives a list of hostages that Hamas has promised to release. The delay in receiving the list has pushed back the ceasefire, which was scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (12 p.m. IST).

Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister held a security assessment overnight regarding the delay in obtaining the list of hostages. The office further added that Netanyahu instructed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that the ceasefire will not begin until Israel has the names of the hostages set to be freed, which Hamas had pledged to provide.

The hostages, three female captives, are expected to be released on the first day of the ceasefire. However, Hamas was supposed to have provided their names by the previous afternoon, according to Israeli officials.

Despite the delay, Hamas has assured that it remains committed to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Hamas attributed the delay in providing the names to “technical reasons” and confirmed its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire deal. Under the agreement, Hamas was required to submit the names of the hostages at least 24 hours before their release, which is expected around 4:30 p.m. today.

Also read: Gaza ceasefire: Netanyahu says Israel reserves right to resume war, cites support from Biden and Trump (WATCH)

Israel says it has recovered the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war

In a separate development, Israel confirmed that it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation just hours before the ceasefire was scheduled to begin. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, had remained in Gaza since the 2014 conflict and had not been returned, despite persistent public efforts by their families.

"In a covert, special operation conducted by IDF and ISA special forces in Gaza, the body of fallen IDF soldier SSGT Oron Shaul, was recovered. Oron fell in combat in Shejaiya on July 20, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. His body was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization," wrote IDF in a statement.

"The efforts to return him, including the gathering of intelligence continued for over a decade and during this war. The IDF and ISA send their heartfelt condolences to the family. The IDF and ISA are continuing to operate in order to bring home all the hostages as soon as possible," the statement added.

As of yet, Hamas has not confirmed which three of the 98 hostages will be released, further fueling concerns over the delay in the ceasefire's initiation. The situation remains tense as Israel awaits clarity from Hamas on the hostages’ identities before the ceasefire can begin.

The 42-day first phase of the ceasefire is expected to result in the return of 33 hostages from Gaza, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces into a buffer zone within Gaza. This phase will also allow many displaced Palestinians to return home and bring a surge of humanitarian aid to the region.

This ceasefire marks just the second in the ongoing war, and it is longer and more significant than the brief weeklong pause over a year ago, with the potential to end the fighting entirely.

Negotiations for the more challenging second phase are set to begin in just over two weeks, with key issues still unresolved, including whether the war will resume after the six-week first phase and how the remaining nearly 100 hostages in Gaza will be freed.

Israel's Cabinet approved the ceasefire early Saturday in an unusual session held during the Jewish Sabbath, more than two days after mediators announced the deal. The warring sides faced pressure from both the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach an agreement before the US presidential inauguration on Monday.

The toll of the war has been devastating, and more details about its extent will emerge in the coming days.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers have also died.

Approximately 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced. The United Nations reports significant damage to Gaza’s health system, road network, and other critical infrastructure. Rebuilding the region, assuming the ceasefire reaches its final phase, will take several years. Major unresolved questions about Gaza’s political future and other issues remain.