The much-awaited ceasefire in Gaza commenced nearly three hours later than scheduled.
The truce was postponed after Hamas failed to name the three hostages it planned to release later on Sunday, 19 January, 2025.
Hamas insisted that it remained committed to the agreement and attributed the delay to “technical” reasons.
However, Israel vowed to continue fighting until it received the names, which were eventually posted on social media by Hamas’ armed wing approximately two hours later.
This development appeared to clear the way for the start of the ceasefire, which Israel announced would begin at 11:15 a.m. local time.
It was gathered that Hamas named the three hostages more than two hours after the ceasefire in Gaza was originally scheduled to commence.
