Israeli PM's office says first hostages expected to be released on January 19

Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal set to begin amid Israeli airstrikes, political tensions, and Hamas accusations.

The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is expected to begin as originally scheduled on Sunday (January 19, 2025), the Israeli prime minister's office said, after hours of uncertainty over the timing of final cabinet approval of the deal.

"Pending approval by the Security Cabinet and the Government, and the agreement taking effect, the release of the hostages will be implemented according to the planned framework in which the hostages are expected to be released on Sunday," it said in a statement.

Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory on Thursday (January 16, 2025).

Mr. Netanyahu said he had instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and that their families were informed the deal had been reached.

Israel had delayed a vote Thursday (January 17, 2025) on the ceasefire, blaming a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up approval as rising tensions in Netanyahu’s government coalition raised concerns about the implementation of the deal just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office had accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Hamas’ new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.

Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”