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Rabat – The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is set to begin at 08:30 am local time (06:30 GMT) on Sunday, according to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari.
He made the announcement in a post on X on Saturday morning. “As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza,” the post reads.
The spokesperson urged caution and advised Palestinians to await instructions from official sources.
The ceasefire agreement was ratified by the Israeli government after a six-hour meeting. It will mark the end of over 460 days of intense aggression on Gaza, during which more than 46,000 Palestinians were killed, and over 110,000 were wounded.
As part of the ceasefire deal, 33 captives held by Hamas will be released within the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The agreement will also see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and facilitate the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in the north, while Israel begins a gradual withdrawal.
A second phase of releases will follow, though Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal before freeing the remaining captives. This phase, from day 42 to 84, will see Israel continuing its withdrawal from Gaza, particularly from the Philadelphi Corridor.
During the third phase, Israel is set to complete its withdrawal, and reconstruction efforts in Gaza will commence under international supervision. Negotiations will continue on the governance of Gaza, while the bodies of any remaining captives are handed over.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued even after the ceasefire announcement, with several Palestinian civilians killed in the attacks. Medics confirmed the deaths of five people in a strike on the al-Mawasi area and three others in Tuffah, bringing the death toll to at least 119 since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday.
Despite the ongoing Israeli aggression, many displaced Palestinians remain hopeful that the ceasefire will bring an end to the war.
