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Israel-Hamas truce: it starts tomorrow 19 January 2025 at 8.30am

The Qatari-brokered truce will come into effect at 8:30am on Sunday 19 January, leading to an exchange of hostages and detainees between Israel and Hamas

The long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip will officially go into effect on Sunday morning at 8:30am local time. The announcement was made by Qatar, the mediator of the agreement, through Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. ‘As coordinated by the parties and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. Sunday,’ al-Ansari wrote on X (formerly Twitter), recommending caution to residents and to await indications from official authorities.

The Israeli government’s approval

The agreement was ratified in the night by the Israeli government after a long debate that lasted over five hours. The vote saw 24 ministers in favour and eight against, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both represent the Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism parties, which sided against the decision along with other members of the government.

Despite the approval, opponents of the deal will be able to appeal to the High Court of Justice. However, the court is unlikely to intervene, given the political and sensitive nature of the agreement.

The exchange of detainees and hostages

At the heart of the agreement is the exchange of 737 Palestinian prisoners for the first Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the detainees, including prominent Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures, will be released in the first phase of the agreement.

The names include Zakaria Zubeidi, former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who was arrested in 2021 after an escape from a maximum security prison. His release will take place no earlier than 4pm on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported.

Netanyahu’s guarantees and American support

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured the ministers of US support, both from President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump. During the meeting, Netanyahu read transcripts of talks with both leaders, emphasising that Israel will have the freedom to resume military operations if the agreement does not hold in the second phase.

Regional tensions: missile intercepted from Yemen

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen towards Israel. The event set off sirens throughout central Israel and Jerusalem. No significant damage or injuries were reported, but the incident underlines the tensions that continue to plague Israeli security despite the impending truce.

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