Israel frees 90 Palestinian prisoners as ceasefire takes hold after Hamas returns 3 Israeli hostages
A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect on Sunday.
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Below are updates on the latest developments on the Gaza ceasefire. This article will be updated as more developments occur. Text provided by The Associated Press.
- President Joe Biden says “the guns in Gaza have gone silent” under a ceasefire deal he outlined in May.
- Israel has freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
- Three Israeli hostages released from Gaza have been handed over to Israeli forces there in the first test of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- The three hostages are Romi Gonen, 24, kidnapped from the Nova music festival, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
- A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect on Sunday following an almost three-hour delay after Hamas was late to name the three hostage it plans to release.
- The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire began at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT).
- Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages held there and pause the 15-month war with Hamas.
- Mediators Qatar and the U.S. announced the ceasefire Wednesday.
- Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza with the expectation that many are likely to have severe, life-threatening complications after more than a year in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
- Israel’s justice ministry published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be freed in the deal’s first phase and said the release will not begin before 4 p.m. local time Sunday. All people on the list are younger or female
- Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza and said that their families were informed a deal had been reached.