Capitals: Europe and the Arabs
The ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip came into effect this morning, as the region witnessed the first hours of calm after more than 470 days of military escalation. The agreement, which was brokered by international mediation, aims to end military operations, exchange hostages, and bring aid into Gaza, amid an atmosphere of anticipation and caution regarding the parties’ commitment to its terms.
In a remarkable development, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the implementation of the ceasefire agreement may be postponed as a result of the delay in delivering a list of the names of three hostages who are expected to be released today. The statement explained that Netanyahu held a security meeting late at night, where he confirmed that the ceasefire will not begin before receiving the required list from Hamas.
In contrast, Hamas confirmed its full commitment to the terms of the agreement, explaining that the delay in delivering the names is due to technical reasons on the ground. The movement also stressed that efforts are continuing to overcome these obstacles and ensure the implementation of the agreement as soon as possible.
The six-week agreement includes the release of 33 Israelis held in Gaza, in exchange for Israel releasing 737 Palestinian detainees.

The exchange will begin after 4:00 pm GMT, with three Israeli female prisoners to be released this evening, and 30 Palestinian prisoners to be released for every Israeli hostage.

In addition, the agreement stipulates the withdrawal of Israeli forces from residential areas in Gaza, and the suspension of Israeli air traffic over the Strip for 12 hours. Humanitarian aid will also flow into Gaza at a rate of 600 trucks per day. On the first day of the agreement, the hostage exchange will begin according to the agreed-upon terms. According to what was published by the European news website "Euronews" in Brussels,

In a related context, the "Axios" website quoted informed sources as saying that the US President-elect Donald Trump's national security advisor confirmed the commitment of the next US administration to implement all stages of the Gaza agreement. The website added that Washington will seek to accelerate negotiations for the second stage of the agreement. The Israeli Prime Minister said in a recorded speech on Saturday evening that the first phase of the agreement constitutes a temporary ceasefire in preparation for the next stages. He explained that Israel had received guarantees from Presidents Biden and Trump to return to military operations if it became clear that the second phase of the agreement could not be implemented.