Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal comes into force after delay

On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any ceasefire would be “temporary”, and that Israel reserves the right to resume fighting, with US support, if it is broken.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken. hostage

Nearly 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the region’s Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there is a severe shortage of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to the struggle to get help to those in need.

Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there were three Israelis who were kidnapped before the war, one of them died.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli military announced that special forces had recovered the body of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul, an Israeli soldier who was killed in the 2014 war in Gaza.