Gaza Ceasefire agreement to come into force at 8:30 a.m. Sunday

CAIRO – 18 January 2025: The ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Israel will come into force at 8:30 a.m. (Gaza’s local time) on Sunday, January 19, Al announced Qatari Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Majed Al Ansari on his X account on Saturday.

As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza. We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official…

— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) January 18, 2025

The ceasefire agreement was announced on January 15 to halt war in Gaza after nearly 15 months of suffering and violence that led to the killing of more than 46,788 Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation forces. The agreement was reached after tireless efforts exerted by the Egyptian, American, and Qatari mediation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced on Friday that the security cabinet had approved a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The phased agreement will allow for the release of captives held by Hamas since their surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, including both living and deceased captives, in exchange for numerous Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

The Israeli Ministry of Justice published on Saturday a list of the names of 735 Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the prisoner swap deal.

As per the deal, Hamas is set to release 33 captives in the first phase, which spans 42 days, alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces toward the East.

A meeting involving Egyptian, Qatari, American and Israeli delegations in Cairo on Friday agreed on forming a joint operations room to monitor the implementation of the anticipated ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

According to an informed Egyptian source, the chamber will consist of representatives from Egypt, Palestine, Qatar, the United States, and Israel.

Talks regarding the implementation of the second phase of the agreement are set to commence on the 16th day of the first phase.

The second phase stage is anticipated to encompass the release of all remaining hostages, the establishment of a lasting ceasefire, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The third phase will focus on the recovery of all remaining deceased individuals and the initiation of reconstruction efforts in Gaza, overseen by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil