Qatar announced the commencement of a truce between Israel and Hamas on Sunday, confirming the release of three hostages, two of whom hold foreign citizenship.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, stated, “We confirm that the names of the three hostages to be released today have been handed over to the Israeli side. They include three Israeli citizens, one with Romanian citizenship and another with British citizenship. The ceasefire has officially begun.”
Israel confirmed the truce, stating that it would come into effect at 0915 GMT on Sunday following the receipt of a list of hostages from Hamas. A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office detailed, “According to the plan for the release of hostages, the phase one ceasefire in Gaza will start at 11:15 (local time).” Initially, the ceasefire was set to begin at 0630 GMT but was delayed until the hostage list was received.
Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, also announced the names of three Israeli women hostages to be freed as part of the agreement. “As part of the prisoner swap deal, the following Israeli prisoners will be released today,” the group’s statement read.
Israel confirmed it was verifying the details of the hostages included in the list. The truce marks a critical step toward easing tensions in the ongoing conflict.
