Israel-Hamas ceasefire fails to start as scheduled: What's next for Gaza
The first phase of the ceasefire deal, aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza, will witness the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was scheduled to come into affect at 6:30 GMT (12 pm IST) on Sunday, as per the announcement made by key mediator Qatar. However, the deadline passed as Israel demanded that it would not begin the process until Hamas provided the name of the three hostages who were to be released later in the day.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed his military that the ceasefire “will not begin until Israel has in its possession the list of hostages to be freed, which Hamas committed to provide", a report from The Associated Press said.
The ceasefire deal, aimed at bringing an end to the 15-month long war in Gaza, is expected to have three phases, with the first phase set to last for 42 days and set to see a series of hostage and prisoner exchanges.
Around 12 hours before the scheduled ceasefire as well, Netanyahu had issued a similar warning. The Israeli PM stated that the ceasefire was being treated as temporary, retaining the right to resume fighting "if necessary".
Netanyahu asserted that he negotiated the best deal possible even though majority of his government opposed the move and threatened to resign.
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The ceasefire deal was achieved after a year of negotiations and discussions by key mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which was closely involved in the talks.
With Donald Trump set to take charge as the US President on January 20, just a day after the beginning of the truce deal, Netanyahu said that the Republican leader told him to "keep doing what you have to do".
What's in store for Gaza
As the 42-day long phase 1 of the ceasefire agreement is scheduled come into affect on Sunday, Gaza will see Israeli forces pulling back into a buffer zone around a kilometer wide inside the region, along its borders with Israel.
Qatar's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani advised Palestinians, majority of whom have been displaced in the war, to exercise caution when the ceasefire goes into effect, asking them to wait for directions from officials.
The ceasefire was earlier scheduled to take effect at 8:30 am local time (6:30 GMT, 12:00 pm IST), but it was delayed due to Israel's demand over hostages' names. As per the truce plan for the first day, three living female hostages, held by Hamas in Gaza, will be released after 4 pm local time (14:00 GMT, 7:30 pm IST).
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Soon after this, Israel will release around 95 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom are female or minors. As part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, Tel Aviv is likely to release a total of 737 prisoners and detainees in exchange for the 33 hostages. The names of these 737 people were released by the justice ministry of Israel.
In addition, the truce deal will also allow increased humanitarian assistance and supplies to be provided to Gaza.
Notably, the Israeli military has said that Palestinians will not be able to cross the Netzarim corridor, running across central Gaza, for the first seven days of the ceasefire (till January 25). It warned Palestinians to not approach the Israeli forces either.
On January 25, Israeli troops will begin withdrawing from this corridor, paving the way for displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza to return to what is left of their homes.
As Egyptian officials prepared for an increase in the humanitarian aid into Gaza, they said the Rafah crossing between their country and Gaza is likely to be operational "soon".
Egypt's foreign minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday had said that his country hopes to facilitate over 600 aid trucks, including 50 fuel trucks, per day into Gaza, which is almost the thrice the level of aid being delivered into the territory during the war.
Each week, three hostages will be released from Gaza by Hamas in exchange for prisoners and detainees, a report from AFP said. By the end of the sixth week (first phase of truce deal), all the 33 hostages will be freed.
On the 16th day of the first phase, negotiations are expected to open for 'Phase 2', which aims to completely end the war. However, little to no detail is available about the phase 2 and 3 talks.
Displaced Gazans can't wait to go home
The Palestinians and Gazans who were displaced in the 15-month war are eager to return home. Mohamed Mahdi, a father of two, said, "The first thing I will do is go and check my house." While expressing excitement to see his family, he also remained "concerned that one of us could be martyred before we are able to meet".
Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled his home in Gaza, said, "I will go to kiss my land. If I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person," AFP quoted him.
A university student, Beeri Yemeni, meanwhile hoped that this ceasefire deal "is the beginning of (the) end of suffering for both sides", adding that the "war needed to end like a long, long time ago".
(with inputs from agencies)
