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Ceasefire Takes Effect in Gaza Amid Ongoing Tensions

Prior to the ceasefire taking effect, Israeli airstrikes resulted in at least 19 Palestinian fatalities across various regions in Gaza

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has officially taken effect today, January 19, 2025, at 11:15 AM local time (4:15 AM ET), following a nearly three-hour delay from the initially scheduled time of 8:30 AM.

This delay was due to Hamas’s failure to provide a list of hostages to be released as part of the agreement.

The ceasefire includes provisions for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Initially, three female hostages will be returned today, with a total of 33 hostages expected to be released over a six-week period. Subsequent releases are scheduled for Day 7 and then every seven days thereafter.

Prior to the ceasefire taking effect, Israeli airstrikes resulted in at least 19 Palestinian fatalities across various regions in Gaza. The violence continued until the ceasefire was officially announced.

The ceasefire was brokered through negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, following significant diplomatic efforts from both the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump.

After the initial phase of the ceasefire, which lasts for six weeks, further negotiations will be necessary to address more complex issues and additional phases of hostage exchanges.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Sunday that Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of at least 46,913 Palestinians and left 110,750 others injured since October 7, 2023.

Following the ceasefire, thousands of displaced Gazans, carrying tents, clothes, and personal belongings, began returning to their homes on Sunday following the implementation of a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after over 15 months of conflict.

Displaced Palestinians make their way past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes following a delay in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas over the hostage list, in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025. — Reuters

AFP journalists observed Palestinians travelling by truck, donkey cart, and on foot through the devastated areas of Gaza, particularly in the northern regions of the territory.

Aid trucks wait near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Palestine amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, January 19, 2025. — Reuters

About 200 aid delivery trucks, including 20 carrying fuel, began arriving on Sunday at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing ahead of entry into the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, quoting two Egyptian sources.

The aid trucks were using the Kerem Shalom entry point pending completion of maintenance at the Rafah border crossing into southern Gaza from Egypt, the report said.

 

Saman Siddiqui

I am a freelance journalist with a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication and an MS in Peace and Conflict Studies. Since 2006, I have been involved in various capacities within the electronic media industry. At OyeYeah, I cover diverse genres ranging from journalism and fiction to fashion, including reviews and fact-finding reports.

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