Can’t go forward with ceasefire deal unless Hamas releases list of hostages to be freed: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister says Israel has right to return to fighting in Gaza, hints at delaying truce

Tel Aviv: Hours after mediator Qatar said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8.30 am local time on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the truce can’t go forward unless Israel receives the list of names of hostages to be released from Gaza as agreed.

He also said Israel has retained the “right to return to fighting if needed” in Gaza, and claimed to have Trump’s support.

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Israel had expected to receive the names by 4 pm local time on Saturday. Netanyahu, in a statement, said, “Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement.”

Hamas was to give the names to mediator Qatar. There is no immediate Qatar response to questions. There is no immediate Hamas response, either.

Earlier in the day, Qatar had said the ceasefire would pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early on Saturday; the ceasefire will see the first hostages released. Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt in months of indirect talks between the warring sides, the ceasefire is the second truce achieved in the devastating conflict.

The Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Meanwhile, Israel’s right-wing Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government over opposition to the ceasefire deal that begins on Sunday morning. He plans to submit his letter of resignation on Sunday morning.

His resignation does not bring down the government or derail the ceasefire deal, but the move destabilises the government at a delicate moment and could eventually lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir were joined by other key Netanyahu allies.