Home » News » Israel-Gaza latest updates: Brit Emily Damari is among first hostages set to be released today as ceasefire begins after Benjamin Netanyahu warns ceasefire will be ‘temporary’
Israel-Gaza latest updates: Brit Emily Damari is among first hostages set to be released today as ceasefire begins after Benjamin Netanyahu warns ceasefire will be ‘temporary’
Briton Emily Damari is among the three hostages set to be released today as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The truce had been delayed this morning when the terroist group failed to hand over the list of names 24 hours ahead of time as stated as part of the agreement.
But at 10.35am local time, more than two hours after the ceasefire was due to come into force, a Hamas armed wing spokesperson confirmed in a post on Telegram that the list had finally been handed over.
They had blamed the delay on bringing a pause of 15 months of war on a ‘technical’ issue.
The Israeli military continued to carry out airstrikes in northern and central Gaza, killing at least eight Palestinians, the Palestinian civil emergency service has said.
The Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed the ceasefire would begin at 11.15am local time, nearly three hours after the initial agreement.
Gazans were seen celebrating and cheering at 8.30am local time in the central city of Deir el-Balah when the deal was supposed to come into effect.
‘War would have ended long ago if Hamas laid down its weapons’
He went on to say the 15-month-long brutal war would have ended ‘long ago’ if Hamas had ‘laid down its weapons and handed over our hostages’.
I want to make it clear that Israel is committed to achieve all the goals of the war that the security cabinet determined, that includes a return of all our hostages and the dismantling of Hamas.
‘No future peace while Hamas stays in power’
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar (pictured below in 2019) has held a press conference this morning from Jerusalem.
He said the ceasefire was ‘temporary’, echoing Netanyahu’s words, and warned there is ‘no future of peace, stability, and security for both sides while Hamas stays in power’.
Mr Sa’ar said the Israeli government was committed to achieving its goals which included the release of hostages and dismantling Hamas.
‘I’ve told Emily’s family to “prepare for the worst”‘
The lawyer for the family of British-Israeli Emily Damari said he has told her loved ones to ‘prepare for the worst’, adding: ‘Until somebody is in your arms and being hugged and they’re alive and well, you have to assume that nothing is happening.’
Adam Rose appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in which he said that the ‘advice has always been until somebody is in your arms and being hugged and they’re alive and well, you have to assume that nothing is happening. And, I suppose, prepare for the worst.’
‘But hopefully Emily is well. Hopefully Emily will come out this afternoon. Hopefully she’ll be given medical care and then she’ll be hugged,’ he added.
Mr Rose went on to reveal that Emily’s mother, Mandy, has had no contact with her daughter as he said: ‘We believe that a majority, according to the Israeli authorities, of the 33 on the current list are alive, but we don’t know who is alive and who is dead.’
Footage in August last year showed the moment the sister of Israeli hostage Romi Gonen howled her name across the Gaza border in a heartbreaking effort to reach her.
Romi is one of three hostages who will be released today.
Her mother, Meirav, was forced to listen as terrorists kidnapped Romi into Gaza as her friends lay dying in their car which had been ambushed.
Minister: ‘Increase in hope for family of Brit’
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones was asked by BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning about the families of people who had been taken hostage by Hamas.
He said that he was ‘sure it will be an increase in hope for the family of Emily Damari, for example, to be named this morning’ as one of the three to be released today.
He later added: ‘It’s unimaginable for all of us, right? I can only guess that for those families, they’ll only be able to breathe when their daughters are back in their arms safe at home.
‘We hope for that to happen as soon as possible and we’ll do everything we can to make that the case.’
Doron Steinbrecher – one of the hostages to be released today – was paraded by Hamas in a video.
Her mother, Simona, 63, exclusively told MailOnline in February last year that she had no idea her daughter was alive until she saw the cruel footage.
The veterinary nurse appeared sallow and anaemic following the unimaginable torment she has suffered since being kidnapped on October 7.
‘It was so scary, she has definitely aged,’ Simona said, shuddering as she recalls the twisted propaganda video.
Read the full story below.
Aid trucks waiting to enter Gaza
Aid trucks were seen yesterday waiting to enter Gaza ahead of the ceasefire.
As part of the truce, 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid are to be allowed into Gaza every day of the ceasefire.
Fifty of them will be carrying fuel, with 300 of the trucks allocated to the north, where conditions for civilians are particularly difficult.
Breaking:Hostages to be freed after 2pm TODAY
The Israeli prime minister’s office has said when the three hostages will be freed today.
The release of the abductees held by Hamas in Gaza will take place after 2pm GMT on Sunday.
In a statement, it also said four other living female hostages would be freed in seven days.
Breaking:Ceasefire has begun after near three hour delay
The Gaza ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas took effect at 11.15 am local time (0915 GMT) today, the Israeli prime minister’s office said.
According to the plan for the release of the hostages, the ceasefire for phase one in Gaza will come into effect at 11:15 (local time)
Israel shares list of 33 hostages set to be freed
Israel’s official X account has shared a list of the 33 hostages set to be freed by Hamas as part of the ceasefire deal.
The youngest is Kfir Bibas who was just nine months old when he was snatched by the terrorists.
Lawyer: ‘No confirmation’ Briton will be released
A lawyer for the family of the last remaining British hostage Emily Damari said there has been no ‘independent verification’ that she will be released.
It comes after she was named by Hamas as one of three hostages set to be freed on Sunday.
Lawyer Adam Rose told Times Radio: ‘No we’ve not had any independent verification. I’ve seen what’s out in public, I’ve been in touch with the family, but not had specific confirmation yet no.’
He said Ms Damari’s family are in an ‘impossible position’, adding: ‘Their daughter, their only daughter, now 28, was taken from her home on October 7 2023, she was injured in the process, and their world’s just been turned upside down while they’re waiting to find out what’s happened to their daughter.’
Breaking:Israel: Names of first hostages received
An Israel official has told Reuters they have the names of the first hostages set to be freed.
Who are the three women being released?
Hamas confirmed in a post on Telegram the names of the three women who it says will be freed first.
They are Brit Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher.
Emily, 28, is the only remaining British-Israeli captive still held in Gaza who has been held hostage for 470 days.
She was shot in the hand and leg when she was snatched from her home in southern Israel during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Emily was in her own flat in the kibbutz when Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, killing some 1,170 people and taking 251 hostage.
Hostages released in the November 2023 truce told her mother, Mandy, how her daughter showed ‘bravery and courage’, singing ‘It’s a Great Morning’ every morning ‘despite the darkness’.
Ms Damari spoke at the official anniversary event commemorating the October 7 massacre in Hyde Park, London a year after Hamas’ deadly incursion, addressing a large crowd who had turned out in support.
Speaking publicly for the first time about her daughter, she said that she felt like her daughter had been ‘forgotten’ in captivity.
Breaking:List of hostage names has been handed over
Mediators have told Israel that they have received the list of three hostage names set to be freed today – which includes Briton Emily Damari, according to Sky News.
Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher are the other two civilians on the list.
A Hamas armed wing spokesperson made the announcement in a post on Telegram, writing: ‘As part of the… prisoner swap deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, decided to release the following Israeli prisoners today.’
It is not yet known if the ceasefire will go ahead today as planned as part of the agreement being that the list should be provided 24 hours before the abductees are released.
The truce was meant to have come into effect at 8.30am local time.
Hamas had blamed the delay on a ‘technical’ issue.
Breaking:Israel hardline minister Ben-Gvir has resigned
Israel hardline national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers have resigned over the ceasefire deal.
The Otzma Yehudit party is no longer part of the ruling coalition but has said it will not try to bring down Netanyahu’s government.
Breaking:Hamas to release names of hostages ‘any moment’
A Hamas official has said that the list of the names of hostages would be handed over ‘any moment’.
They blamed ‘complexities’ in Gaza and Israeli bombing for the delays.
Eight Palestinians killed amid ceasefire delay
At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Gaza this morning by Israeli military strikes, the Palestinian civil emergency service has said.
The IDF has been carrying out airstrikes amid the delay in the truce which would have paused 15 months of war.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said earlier the implementation of a ceasefire was delayed as Hamas had not fulfilled its obligation to send Israel the list of hostages to be released on the first day.
Who are the 33 hostages set to be released?
Under the first phase of the truce, 33 hostages are expected to be released over the next six weeks, including women, ‘children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded’.
In return, Israel will free between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The list of hostages due to be released as soon as Sunday includes Oded Lifschitz, an 84-year-old Israeli with family in Britain.
Daughter Sharone Lifschitz told the BBC from her east London home this week that she hoped her father was still alive.
‘Miracles do happen,’ she said.
Below is the list of 33 hostages set to be released that has been circulating on Israel media.
Liri Albag,
Itzhak Elgarat,
Karina Ariev,
Ohad Ben Ami,
Ariel Bibas,
Yarden Bibas,
Kfir Bibas,
Shiri Bibas,
Agam Berger,
Gonen Romi,
Daniella Gilboa,
Emily Damari,
Sagui Dekel Chen,
Iair Horn,
Omer Wenkert,
Alexandre Sasha Troufanov,
Arbel Yehoud,
Ohad Yahalomi,
Eliya Cohen,
Or Levy,
Naama Levy,
Oded Lifshitz,
Gadi Moshe Mozes,
Avraham (Avera) Mengisto,
Shlomo Mantzur,
Keith Samuel Sigal,
Tsachi Idan,
Ofer Kalderon,
Tal Shoham,
Doron Steinbrecher,
Omer Shem Tov,
Hisham Al-Sayed,
Eli Sharabi
IDF continues to ‘strike terrorist targets’
The IDF says it is continuing to ‘strike terrorist targets in Gaza’ amid the delay in the ceasefire.
The military said it is carrying out aircraft strikes in the northern and central areas.
Gazans ‘cheering’ ahead of ceasefire
Hundreds of Gazans were seen cheering and celebrating after 6.30am in the central city of Deir el-Balah, the time when the ceasefire was to come into effect.
Many were taking pictures on their mobile phones, clapping and hugging each other.
About 30 minutes later, footage showed a thick plume of grey smoke rising over northeastern Gaza.
Timeline of hostage release explained
According to the ceasefire agreement, the names of the list of hostages should have been provided 24 hours before the exchange – sometime after 4pm local time today.
Hamas says it is still committed to the deal but blamed ‘technical field reasons’ for it providing the names of the three people it planned to set free.
The deal comes in three stages the first six-week phase set to see more than 30 hostages released.
Israeli forces have also agreed to withdraw to the east away from the densely populated areas of Gaza as part of the deal.
British hostage Emily Damari will be released as part of the deal between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reports.
The 28-year-old has been held in Gaza since she was shot in the hand and leg when snatched from her home in southern Israel during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Under a deal finally agreed this week, 33 hostages are expected to be released, including women, ‘children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded’.
Read the full story below.
Israeli military continue attacks in Gaza
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari made the announcement in a televised statement this morning.
The IDF continues to strike within the Gaza area at this time. According to the prime minister’s directives, the ceasefire will not come into effect until Hamas fulfils its commitments
Netanyahu: Ceasefire is delayed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement this morning to say a ceasefire with Hamas had been delayed, just moments before the deal was due to come into effect at 6.30am local time.
It instructed the military not to begin the ceasefire.
Netanyahu warned last night the first phase of the deal would not go ahead until the terrorist group issued the list of hostages due to be released.
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Israel-Gaza latest updates: Brit Emily Damari is among first hostages set to be released today as ceasefire begins after Benjamin Netanyahu warns ceasefire will be ‘temporary’