Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas implemented a ceasefire on the 19th (local time), exceeding the promised deadline by more than two hours. It has been 470 days since the war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to CNN and others, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect at 11:15 a.m. (6:15 p.m. Korea time) on that day. The Prime Minister's Office of Israel noted that three hostages would be received from Hamas after 4 p.m. that day, and that four other surviving hostages would be released within seven days.
The original deadline for the ceasefire was 8:30 a.m. However, the delay of 2 hours and 45 minutes occurred when Hamas did not deliver the list of hostages to be released. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed airstrikes after stating that he had not received the list that morning. CNN and Reuters reported that this caused 13 deaths and 30 injuries in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas then disclosed the list around 10:30 a.m., claiming that the delivery was delayed due to technical issues and that it was adhering to the ceasefire agreement. The hostages to be released that day include Romi Gonen, Emily Tamari, and Doron Steinbrecher, who have been held by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023.
Both Israel and Hamas will pause hostilities for the first phase, which lasts six weeks (42 days), exchanging hostages and Palestinian detainees while engaging in detailed discussions for the next phases two and three. According to the agreement, during the first phase, Hamas is set to release 33 hostages who were taken during Hamas's surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which include women, children, and the elderly.
In return, Israel is expected to release 737 Palestinian detainees during the first phase of the ceasefire.
This ceasefire comes about a year and three months after a temporary ceasefire in November 2023 and about a year and four months after Hamas's attack on Israel in October of the same year. Earlier, the Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire plan after a marathon meeting lasting more than six hours the previous day. Eight far-right and hardline members opposed it, but the remaining 24 voted in favor, allowing the plan to pass.