Hamas gives Israel list of hostages to be released after delay, as British woman among first three
19 January 2025, 06:10 | Updated: 19 January 2025, 09:06
Israel has received a list of hostages to be released from Hamas, with British woman Emily Damari among the first three to be freed, after delays to a planned Gaza ceasefire on Sunday morning.
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Emily Damari, 28, a British-Israeli citizen, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doren Steinbecher, 31, are due to be released today.
It is unclear what condition the three women are in, as Israel is said not to have been given any information by Hamas.
Ms Damari, who was raised in south-east London before moving to Israel in her 20s, was wounded in the October 7 attack on a kibbutz, according to her mother.
Mandy Damari said her daughter was "shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza".
It comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the ceasefire because the Palestinian terror group had not given the hostage names on time.
The new timing of the ceasefire, which was due to start at 6.30 UK time, has not been confirmed yet.
Mr Netanyahu said earlier on Sunday morning: "The prime minister instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8:30am (6.30am UK time), will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide."
Hamas said the delay was due to "technical field reasons" while also confirming its "commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Three of the hostages were set to be released today at around 4.30pm local time (3.30pm UK time).
According to the terms of the deal, Hamas was required to provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release.
The IDF said on Sunday morning it was continuing to "operate and strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip".
"A short while ago, IDF artillery and aircraft struck a number of terror targets in northern and central Gaza," the military said in a statement.
Palestinian officials said that eight people had been killed and 25 wounded by the bombing in the Gaza strip.
Meanwhile Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir resigned from government in opposition to the security deal.
Read more: Ceasefire explained: What does the deal between Israel and Hamas mean?
Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli military, said on Sunday morning that Israel was continuing to bombard Gaza.
He said: “As of this morning, Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations, and contrary to the agreement has not given Israel the names of the hostages [set for release today].
"Per the directive of the prime minister, the ceasefire will not take effect as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations. The [Israeli military] is continuing to strike now in Gaza, as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations to the deal.
"As we reported earlier, Hamas is yet to hand over a list of the names of the captives it is supposed to release."
Mr Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel is treating the ceasefire with Gaza as temporary and retains the right to continue fighting if necessary.
He added that "Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement".
Early on Saturday morning, Israel's Cabinet approved the deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.
Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Key questions remain about the ceasefire, however, the second achieved during the war, including the names of the 33 hostages who are to be released during the first, six-week phase and who among them is still alive.
Hamas agreed to free three female hostages on day one of the deal, four on day seven and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.
Palestinian detainees are to be released as well.
Lawyer of British-linked hostages says families of unreleased hostages are 'going through torture'
Israel's justice ministry published a list of more than 700 who are to be freed in the deal's first phase and said the release will not begin before 4pm local time on Sunday.
All people on the list are younger or female.
The largely devastated Gaza should see a surge in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.
Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive.
Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.
Adviser to Qatar's PM on the ceasefire negotiations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza once the ceasefire takes effect will face many obstacles.
Mr Guterres told reporters in Beirut on Saturday that the challenges of aid distribution include gangs that are "looting systematically the convoys" as well as the total degradation of Gaza and its infrastructure.
He said there are limited number of trucks at the present in Gaza "so a lot of actions are necessary in order to make the distribution fully effective".
He said the ceasefire makes it clear that there would not be any impediments by Israel for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
Mr Guterres said the distribution will be carried out by the UN and its partners as well as the private sector and other initiatives.
"It is clear that there is an obligation by Israel of not creating any obstacles," Mr Guterres said.
He added: "It is clear that the situation in Gaza is still extremely complex and a lot of difficulties still remain for an effective distribution."
