Israel-Hamas ceasefire latest: Gaza truce in limbo as Netanyahu demands list of hostages to be freed
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military not to start the ceasefire in Gaza as he demanded the list of hostages to be freed, throwing the truce in limbo just an hour before it was to begin.
Israel has been demanding the list of 33 hostages who will be released by Hamas in the first phase.
“The prime minister instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8.30am, will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office said in a statement.
Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the ceasefire will not take effect as long as the militant group do not need its demands, and that Israel will continue to attack.
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.
Israel’s government ratified the truce with Hamas on Saturday morning, paving the way for an end to the war in the Palestinian territory after 15 months of devastating fighting that has left over 46,000 Gazans dead.
Mr Netanyahu warned that Israel reserved the right to restart the war in Gaza with the backing of the US if he was not satisfied with Hamas’s handling of the ceasefire deal.
Israel continued to attack Gaza through Saturday. Tanks shelled the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City and airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza, residents said.
