Middle East latest: A long-awaited Gaza ceasefire starts after a delay

A ceasefire successful the Gaza Strip took effect connected Sunday pursuing an astir three-hour hold aft Hamas was precocious to sanction the 3 hostage it plans to release.

The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said the ceasefire began astatine 11:15 a.m. section clip (0915 GMT). Israel said earlier it would support warring until the names were handed implicit successful accordance with the agreement.

Hamas blamed the hold successful handing implicit the names connected “technical tract reasons.” It said successful a connection that it is committed to the ceasefire woody announced past week.

The ceasefire is acceptable to intermission the fighting after 15 months of war and spot the merchandise of dozens of hostages held by the militants successful the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel’s Cabinet approved the woody aboriginal connected Saturday.

Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt successful months of indirect talks betwixt the warring sides, the ceasefire is the 2nd truce achieved successful the devastating conflict.

The Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack connected confederate Israel killed immoderate 1,200 radical and took immoderate 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages stay successful Gaza.

Israel responded with an violative that has killed much than 46,000 Palestinians, according to section wellness officials, who bash not separate betwixt civilians and militants but say women and children make up much than fractional the dead.

Here’s the latest:

Residents successful bombed-out Rafah successful confederate Gaza instrumentality to find destruction

CAIRO — Residents n Gaza’s confederate metropolis of Rafah returned to find monolithic demolition pursuing a ceasefire that took clasp Sunday. Some recovered quality remains successful the rubble.

“It’s an indescribable scene. It’s similar you spot a Hollywood fearfulness movie,” Mohamed Abu Taha told The Associated Press arsenic helium and his member inspected the household location successful Rafah’s Salam neighborhood. He described “flattened houses, quality remains, skulls and different assemblage parts, successful the thoroughfare and successful the rubble.”

He shared footage of piles of rubble helium said had been the family’s house.

Trump welcomes the impending merchandise of 3 hostages from Gaza

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has welcomed the impending merchandise of 3 hostages held by militants successful Gaza arsenic portion of a ceasefire statement with Israel that started Sunday.

“Hostages starting to travel retired today! Three fantastic young women volition beryllium first,” Trump wrote successful a station connected the societal media level Truth Social.

Pope expresses gratitude for Gaza ceasefire

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expressed his gratitude for the Gaza ceasefire and praised the relation of mediators.

Francis thanked each those progressive who worked to marque the woody possible, praying that each the hostages volition beryllium capable to instrumentality location and clasp again their loved ones.

The pontiff noted that helium continues to commune that immoderate has been agreed upon “will beryllium respected.”

Francis besides prayed that greatly-needed humanitarian assistance volition beryllium capable to get successful Gaza arsenic soon arsenic possible, and that the planetary assemblage volition proceed to assistance some sides arsenic to champion foster “dialogue, anticipation and peace.”

UN bureau says nutrient trucks entering Gaza

CAIRO — The U.N. World Food Program said trucks person started entering Gaza done 2 crossings aft the ceasefire took clasp Sunday.

In a station connected X, WFP said the archetypal trucks carried life-saving wheat flour and ready-to-eat nutrient parcels. It said it aims to present nutrient regular on humanitarian corridors that see Egypt, Jordan and Israel crossing points.

“This ceasefire is captious for the humanitarian response. Safety, and entree indispensable beryllium ensured,” the bureau said.

Palestinians successful Gaza observe the ceasefire

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Celebrations erupted aboriginal Sunday crossed the Gaza Strip arsenic radical hoped for respite aft 15 months of warfare that killed tens of thousands and destroyed ample areas of the territory. Masked militants appeared astatine immoderate of the celebrations, wherever the crowds chanted slogans successful enactment of them, according to Associated Press reporters successful Gaza.

Gaza’s Civil Defense, archetypal responders who run nether the Hamas-run government, held a parade successful Gaza City, wherever the rescuers waved a Palestinian emblem alongside different revelers, according to AP footage. It besides showed a tiny radical of radical carrying the flags of Islamic Jihad, the 2nd largest militant radical aft Hamas, which took portion successful the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel that triggered the war.

The Hamas-run constabulary began deploying successful nationalist aft mostly lying debased owed to Israeli airstrikes. Gaza City residents said they had seen them operating successful parts of the city, and the AP newsman successful Khan Younis saw a tiny fig retired connected the streets.

Palestinian residents began returning to their homes successful parts of Gaza City aboriginal Sunday, adjacent arsenic vessel shelling continued to the east, person to the Israeli border, overnight. Families could beryllium seen making their mode backmost connected foot, with their belongings loaded connected donkey carts, residents said.

“The dependable of shelling and explosions didn’t stop,” said Ahmed Matter, a Gaza City resident. He said helium saw galore families leaving their shelters and returning to their homes. “People are impatient. They privation this madness to end,” helium said.

Families of Israeli hostages interest astir the adjacent step

PARIS — At a gathering successful Paris, relatives of Israeli hostages accidental the coming days and weeks stay fraught with worries for them contempt Hamas promises to merchandise immoderate of the captives nether the long-awaited ceasefire with Israel.

Moshe Emilio Lavi, the brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, said astatine the gathering Saturday nighttime that he’s acrophobic astir the wellness effects for those held for much than 450 days.

“You tin ideate that hostages who were taxable to torture, abuse, intersexual violence, deprived of food, water, sanitation, sunlight for truthful agelong — everyone is simply a humanitarian case, which is wherefore we arsenic families cull the conception this is simply a humanitarian deal,” helium said.

“The archetypal signifier is not. If it was, each hostage, including my brother-in-law, Omri, would instrumentality location tomorrow. So we are not optimistic.”

Olivier Jaoui, a comparative of French-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon, said families person “many concerns due to the fact that we don’t cognize who is alive, who is dormant among the hostages and successful particular, for us, Ofer Kalderon, our cousin.”

He added that “another concern, obviously, is successful what authorities they volition return.”

Israel names each 3 hostages acceptable to merchandise connected Sunday

TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli authoritative confirmed that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were acceptable to beryllium released aboriginal connected Sunday.

Gonen was abducted from the Nova euphony festival, portion the different 2 were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.

The authoritative said the families had approved the work of the names. The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity successful enactment with regulations.

Israelis anxiously await the instrumentality of hostages

SDEROT, Israel — In the hours earlier the ceasefire betwixt Hamas and Israel took effect Sunday, immoderate Israelis gathered connected a elevation overlooking the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, wherever Israeli strikes continued for respective hours aft a hold successful the truce.

Warplanes roared, helicopters thudded and drones buzzed overhead arsenic fume plumes roseate from the rubble of bluish Gaza, arsenic seen from crossed the borderline with Israel.

Asher Pizem said helium grew up adjacent to the sounds of warfare successful the confederate Israeli metropolis of Sderot. He welcomed the expected instrumentality of the hostages held successful Gaza, calling them his “brothers and sisters.”

But the 35-year-old criticized the ceasefire-for-hostages woody that helium saw arsenic kicking the occupation down the road. He said helium believed that by allowing humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the Israeli authorities is fueling the regrouping and rearming of Hamas.

“They volition instrumentality the clip and onslaught again,” helium said.

An Israeli airstrike kills 8 successful Gaza, medics say

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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike killed astatine slightest 8 radical successful the Gaza Strip aft the ceasefire was delayed, Palestinian aesculapian officials said.

Nasser Hospital successful the confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis confirmed the casualties from Sunday’s strike, which it said had occurred astir 2 hours aft the truce was expected to instrumentality effect.

Israel said Hamas delayed the commencement of the truce by not naming the hostages it was expected to merchandise aboriginal connected Sunday. Hamas publicized the names astir 2 hours aft the ceasefire had been owed to begin.

Hamas names the 3 hostages it plans to merchandise Sunday arsenic portion of ceasefire deal

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Hamas militant radical has named the 3 hostages it plans to merchandise connected Sunday, perchance clearing the mode for the commencement of a Gaza ceasefire aft a delay.

Israel had earlier said it would proceed warring successful Gaza until the names were handed implicit successful accordance with the agreement. The commencement of the ceasefire has been delayed by much than 2 hours.

There was nary contiguous remark from Israel aft Hamas’ equipped helping published the names connected societal media.

Hard-liner Ben-Gvir and his party’s different Cabinet members taxable their resignations

JERUSALEM — The enactment of Israel’s hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says its Cabinet ministers submitted their resignations from the authorities connected Sunday successful absorption to the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The departure of the Jewish Power enactment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities does not bring down the conjugation oregon impact the ceasefire. But Ben-Gvir’s departure destabilizes the coalition.

Israel says it recovered the assemblage of a worker killed successful 2014 hours earlier Gaza ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli authorities said Sunday that forces had recovered and returned the assemblage of a worker killed successful the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, whose remains were held by the Palestinian militant radical successful Gaza.

Israeli subject spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said a analyzable cognition involving elite commando forces returned the assemblage of Oron Shaul overnight Saturday.

Shaul, 21 astatine the clip of his death, was killed successful conflict successful the warfare a decennary ago. His assemblage was snatched by Hamas and held since.

Hamas inactive holds the assemblage of different worker killed during that war, Hadar Goldin.

Both of the soldiers’ families had staged a nationalist run to person the bodies returned.

The bodies were expected to beryllium returned arsenic portion of the fragile ceasefire woody with Hamas successful speech for the hostages and bodies it holds.

UN’s humanitarian affairs bureau ramps up preparations to supply assistance to Gaza

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N.’s humanitarian affairs bureau says it has ratcheted up its preparations for providing assistance to Gaza aft the ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Muhannad Hadi, the agency’s humanitarian coordinator for the territory, said Saturday the United Nations and its partners are acceptable to leverage the accidental for large-scale relief.

Hadi referenced successful a connection the agreements reached connected implementing humanitarian components successful the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire, including the proviso of supplies “including water, food, wellness and structure to radical crossed Gaza and the long-awaited merchandise of hostages.”

The ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas it acceptable to spell into effect astatine 8:30 a.m. section clip (0630 GMT) connected Sunday, mediator Qatar said. It volition intermission the fighting after 15 months of war and spot the merchandise of dozens of hostages held by the militants successful the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Dozens of Israelis protestation ceasefire woody successful Jerusalem

JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israelis protested the ceasefire woody successful Jerusalem connected Saturday night, concisely blocking a main roadworthy arsenic they shouted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and the warfare to continue.

Many carried faux coffins draped successful the Israeli emblem arsenic good arsenic banners calling the ceasefire a “betrayal” of Israeli soldiers killed successful the war.

Yehoshua Shin, whose lad was killed warring Hamas militants connected Oct. 7, criticized the woody for releasing Palestinians from situation and called connected American president- elite Donald Trump to scrap the woody until determination is “total victory” implicit the Hamas militant group.

Netanyahu says Israel treating ceasefire with Hamas arsenic temporary

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel is treating the ceasefire with Hamas arsenic impermanent and retains the close to proceed warring if necessary.

Speaking to the federation conscionable 12 hours earlier the ceasefire is to start, helium claimed that helium had the enactment of President-elect Donald Trump, who helium said helium spoke with connected Wednesday.

Netanyahu besides touted Israel’s subject successes successful Lebanon and Syria arsenic the crushed Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. “We person changed the look of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu stressed that helium was capable to negociate the champion woody imaginable adjacent arsenic Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Saturday helium and astir of his enactment would resign from the authorities successful opposition.

With files from Tia Goldenberg and Josef Federman